A SOLIHULL teenage tennis is dreaming of playing at Wimbledon this summer after being crowned junior national champion.
Luca Pow has been handed a wildcard into qualifying for this year’s Wimbledon Championships, where he could take on world number one Novak Djokovic following his win.
The 17-year-old beat defending champion Will Jansen at the LTA’s 18 and Under Junior National tennis competition at the National Tennis Centre in Roehampton.
He said: “It feels good seeing my name on the trophy. It was tough playing outside after playing our last two matches indoors and Will started off strong.
“I went 4-2 down in both sets and managed to come back to win.
“It’s been amazing to play at the National Tennis Centre in this event.
“When you walk around this place and Joe Salisbury strolls past you, the new world number one in doubles, it’s crazy.”
Luca has been training at the National Academy programme at Loughborough in Leicestershire, which is delivered by tennis player Nick Cavaday and his team.
National Academies are generally for players aged 13 to 18, providing high quality, high intensity daily training environments with world class science and medicine support, working in partnership with a local school, to help them successfully develop into emerging tour professionals.
Martin Weston, Lawn Tennis Association men’s tennis manager, said: “It was exactly the sort of match we want to see in a final
“They both played the kind of tennis we want to see, aggressive and brave and Luca did well to come back from 4-2 down in both sets.
“It has been an encouraging week for the boys and staging the event at the National Tennis Centre (NTC) has been a big success.
“When we started the main draw, it felt like a tour event and the way the courts have been presented and the organisation from Tournament Director Richard Joyner has been great.
“To be around the NTC in a week when a lot of our players are here and to walk past the US Open trophies won by Emma Raducanu and Joe Salisbury every morning is inspirational experience for our junior players.”
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