While some of our top 14 year-olds are taking part in the Junior Orange Bowl, most of our top 13 year old boys are in France, at St Genevieve des Bois, for a top Grade 1 event. Our 3 top ranked players (Luke Bambridge, Christopher Pearce and Evan Hoyt) were all knocked out before the semis, but 4th ranked Kyle Edmund has made it through to that stage.
Meanwhile in Wrexham a Grade 3 event has concluded, with British interest in both finals: Boys singles Final:
(3) Clement Geens (Bel) bt Shakeel Manji (Gbr) 6-1 6-4
Girls Singles Final:
(2) Beth Askew (Gbr) bt Alice Keddie (Gbr) 6-2 6-1,
Frankel made the boys semis at Wrexham. I refereed him in an indoor series a couple of weeks ago and he is a reasonable talent with some good technical strokes. Also has parents that take his tennis pretty seriously so maybe a name to look out for (although he withdrew from the final a set down, in the event I ref'ed!)
Alice Keddie is a new name to me. But she had a great win over the top seed in round 1
Alice Keddie is a 12 year old Scot who lost to Eleanor Dean in the semis of the National under 12s and is our 3rd highest ranked 12 year-old in the TE14 category (behind Eden Silva and Grace Dixon - Eleanor Dean is based in the USA I think and doesn't play Tennis Europe events). Here is an article about her from the Independent last year.
Young Scots aiming for Centre Court
There may not be a British winner at Wimbledon this year, but a pioneering new tennis academy north of the border intends to put the hottest prospects in with a chance one day.
Alice Keddie is only 10 but her future as a sportswoman is mapped out already. It takes her a moment to answer the question about what her main ambition is in life. "I'd like to win Wimbledon," she says.
With any luck, that ambition might move a step nearer when a pioneering tennis academy the first of its kind is launched in September by two of Scotland's most exclusive schools. Alice will be one of the new entrants, boarding in Edinburgh during the week and returning to her village near St Andrews in the holidays that's if she's not playing in a tennis tournament.
The academy is the brainchild of two of the most highly-rated independent schools in Edinburgh - Merchiston Castle and St George's School for Girls which have joined forces to provide school places for students and to give them top-level training at the same time.
Supported by Tennis Scotland, the initiative builds on the interest created in the game by the success of Andy Murray, 20, who was seeded eighth in Wimbledon this year before he dropped out at the last minute with a wrist injury. Suddenly hopes are high that other young players might be able to emulate the success of this rising young tennis star, who is understood to be a keen supporter of the project.
How, you might wonder, can tennis be taught in a country where it rains so frequently? The answer is that the academy will have both indoor and outdoor facilities for its budding tennis stars. When it's raining hard, they will practise their volleys and serves under cover; when it stops they will venture outside.
Like Murray, Alice began to develop an interest in tennis very young, as young as four or five, egged on by her older brother who was playing the sport. There was no history of hitting tennis balls in her family. And her game has blossomed: she won five tournaments in her age group this year, three in Scotland and two nationally.
"I'm just quite competitive and I like tennis," she says. That is evident in the way she attacks the ball as she warms up for a practice session in the indoor tennis school near Merchiston Castle. Her mother, June, confirms her commitment. "Once Alice started playing, she entered more competitions and really enjoyed herself," she says.
The new tennis academy will give all the young people who are admitted the chance to pursue full-time academic study as well as play tennis every day. There will be two categories of youngster chosen: tour players and challengers.
The tour players, who include Alice, are those thought to have the potential to succeed at national level or on the international circuit.
They will get a reduced academic programme because they are expected to be competing in international competitions and spending time abroad although each will be given a personal tutor to help them with their studies.
