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ANDREW BETTLES AND AMY ASKEW WIN 16&U NATIONAL TITLES

 

Amy Askew and Andrew Bettles are this year’s 16&U AEGON British Junior National Champions following successful campaigns at the West Hants Club in Bournemouth.

In the girl’s final, Liverpool’s Askew, the favourite, contested the title against Surrey’s Ruth Seaborne arriving at the final having just dropped 12 games. However, Seaborne, a surprise finalist having put out both the number one and eight seeds, proved a tougher nut to crack.

There was little to separate the two in the first set which inevitably went to a tie-break. There the two were also close until the final two points which were claimed by Askew.

The Liverpudlian continued to win the big points throughout the second set as she established a two game lead for the first time for 4-2. Seaborne clawed one more game back but it was to be her last as Askew wrapped up the match 7-6 (4), 6-3.

“I’m really happy and I played really well. It’s just the best,” said Askew. “I’m going to look with really great memories of this tournament as I’ve really enjoyed the week and capped it off with a win which is brilliant. Today’s match was definitely the toughest match all week. She played well and I didn’t really expect anything else.”

Bettles and George Morgan, who had won the boy’s doubles together the previous day, fought out the boy’s title in a showdown featuring the top two seeds.

Morgan, who had been the victor of their last few encounters and hadn’t dropped a set all tournament, was outplayed in the first set by the intensity and accuracy of his opponent, who took the first set 6-2 in just over half an hour.

The second set was a much closer affair, with endless breaks of serve that took the players up to 5-4 in Bettles’ favour who went on to claim the match at the first opportunity, 6-2,6-4.

 “I’ve been very pleased with how I’ve played throughout the tournament and I definitely played my best match today,” said Bettles. “I’ve lost to George the last five or six times so today was really good. I was looking at all the familiar names on the past winners list and I’m just really happy that I’m now on there.”

 

 

 

LUCAS TAYLOR AND LANA RUSH WIN 12&U NATIONAL TITLES

 

Lucas Taylor and Lana Rush won the respective 12&U AEGON British Junior National Champions at Bournemouth.

Both players beat their doubles partners Vincent Gillespie and Freya Christie to secure the singles titles having won the doubles the previous day.

Top seeded Taylor, who survived a hard fought three-setter against Bjorn Thomson in the semi-final, defeated Gillespie 6-2 7-6(4).

"It feels really good to have won today. I'm glad I got there in the end because I had five match points during the match which I let go,” he commented after the match.

“Vincent played really well and really put the pressure on. When it went to a tie-break it was just really frustrating because I know I should have maybe won some of the earlier points so I was really relieved to win in the end.

“Vincent is my doubles partner but we've played against each other so much that it's not like that affects how we play each other. We both really wanted to win and you could tell by the way neither of us would give up. We both kept fighting so it was a really hard match."

In the girls’ draw Rush, the No.3 seed who aarived in te final without conceding a set, continued her impressive form by beating second seed Christie 7-5 6-0.

"I'm really happy that I won the tournament. I won the Under 10s so it's great to be able to do it again. I was delighted with the way I played. I attacked as much as I could and I was consistent throughout the match which is always a good thing,” she said later.

“It was really hard playing Freya as not only is she my doubles partner but she's also a great friend so I didn't want there to be any bad feelings. We have played each other a few times though so it's not completely new.

“It means so much to have won the trophy - Anne Keothavong was a past winner so I know I'm on the right track to making it as a tennis player. It's been a pretty exhausting week as I made the final in both the singles and doubles. I'll have a week off next week where I can get to relax and see my family but then I'll be straight back into it."

 

 

 

KYLE EDMUND AND ELEANOR DEAN WIN 14&U NATIONAL TITLES

 

Yorkshire tennis received a massive boost thanks to Kyle Edmund and Eleanor Dean following their title wins at the AEGON 14&U British National Championships in Bournemouth.

Both players had an excellent week reaching their respective finals without dropping a set but to clinch the championships, were made to go the distance.

Top seeded Edmund overcame a scare in his final, squandering a 6-1 4-0 lead against Luke Bambridge of Nottinghamshire before eventually winning 6-1 4-6 6-4.

“When I was a set and 4-0 up it looked like it was going to be easier than I thought it would be, but Luke is a fantastic competitor and he just wouldn’t say die. I must have just lost concentration and even I was thinking that I didn’t know what to do,” said Edmund.

“Eventually in the third set I managed to get a couple of games and get my rhythm again. That’s often the equation that the quality of tennis steps up in the deciding set of a final and that was certainly the case here, but I’m just really pleased to have come out on top.”

Dean, the 12&U champion in 2008, also overcame a second set blip against Hertfordshire's Katy Dunne, beating the No.1 seed 6-4 2-6 6-3.

“It feels really good to be the national champion,” said Dean. “It’s really hard on Katy as it was so close and it was such a good match. I didn’t go out there today with my A game, so I had to just get through it with a positive attitude. It was a hard game, a mental game. I wasn’t hitting my best at all.

“I really didn’t think this week was going to be as good as this as I had just got back from a lot of back-to-back Tennis Europe events, so to win here was really good. I’m going back to Spain for two and a half weeks holiday now.”