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Daneika wins place in top tennis centre August 27 – Cumbrian tennis star Daneika Borthwick’s dream of becoming a Wimbledon star of the future have received a major boost. The 16-year-old has been handed a place at the National Tennis Centre in Roehampton in London, where her career will be guided by Britain’s top coaches. Borthwick was head-hunted by the Lawn Tennis Association’s head of women’s tennis Nigel Sears and will work every day alongside the country’s best players, including British number one Anne Keothavong and Elena Baltacha, who are both based at Roehampton. The youngster, from Scales, near Aspatria, underlined her potential by winning the doubles at the AEGON Junior National Championships in Bournemouth on Saturday. Borthwick, who is waiting for her GCSE results from Wigton’s Nelson Thomlinson School, and partner Sian Bayliss defeated Manisha Foster and Francesca Stephenson 6-2, 6-2 in just over an hour at the sun-drenched West Hants Club. Her proud mum Linda said: “The National Tennis Centre tries to take the cream of British youngsters so Daneika is delighted to have been offered a place. “It’s a highly professional set-up with access to fitness coaches and nutritionists and the chance to go and play in Asia and America. “She will go and we will give her a chance to see if she likes it. It’s a great opportunity if she wants to give it a go. “She will be based in Wimbledon with a family and will have home schooling so it’s a great chance for her. |
“The offer has been based on her potential, her work ethic and professionalism on and off court.” Borthwick’s victory in the AEGON Junior National Championships continued her impressive summer which has also seen her win the Taça Diogo Napoles in Portugal, a success which moved her up to 230 in the world rankings. Her doubles’ victory in Bournemouth made up for the disappointment of being knocked out of the singles to Manisha Foster. The British Junior National Championships is the highest domestic accolade available to Britain’s best young players and past champions include the current men’s and women’s British number ones, Andy Murray and Anne Keothavong. But reaching the final caused major transport problems as staying longer than she expected in Bournemouth on Saturday night meant she was unable to get a train or plane back home to Cumbria. Her coach Mike Woods had to drive her 360 miles home so she was able to catch a flight on Sunday morning to her next tournament in Hungary. Borthwick, who has already had her passport stamped in Australia, Portugal and Spain this summer, was playing in the first round of the Budaors Cup in Budapest. She will then play in the prestigious Compass IC European Challenger in Barcelona, a team event with six events played over two years in Europe, Australasia, North and South America, Africa and Asia. Times & Star |
Treble triumph for
tennis duo
Westcliff Hardcourts player
Isabella took the girls’ under-12 and under-14 crowns and also won the girls’
under-14 doubles. Lydia, who us a member at
Billericay, enjoyed success in the girls’ under-16 singles and prevailed in
the girls’ under18 and under-18 mixed doubles. Thorpe Bay’s Harry Randle
bagged a brace of trophies after winning the boys’ under-16 and under-18
finals. And Harry’s Thorpe Bay
clubmate Charlie Crow picked up the boys’ under-14 singles title, while Joe
Easton, who plays at Westcliff Lawn, won the boys’ under-12 singles. The event run all last week,
with the finals being played at Westcliff Lawn in London Road on Saturday. Players from all over Essex
took part in the tournament, which was celebrating it’s golden jubilee and
was refereed by Tony Connolly. Caption: Lydia Mountford — won
the girls’ under-16 singles and under-18 doubles plus the under-18 mixed
doubles By Paul Alton, Echo |
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