A YOUNG tennis player from St Helens has been making quite a racquet north of the border — winning a national U14 tournament and was an unlucky finalist in an international championship.
Arthur Attrill recently spent two fruitful weeks competing in Edinburgh in his age group.
A Hampshire champion, the 14 year old won the Scottish Open against the top U14 players in Great Britain.
It was the Ryde Academy student’s first victory at national level and is testament to the weekly training he has completed at the LTA Regional Player Development Centre in Bournemouth during this academic year.
He held his form when he went on to compete in an international ‘Tennis Europe’ event, finishing runner up, losing 7-6, 7-6 in an very closely fought final.
Arthur’s results in Edinburgh, together with reaching the doubles final at both events, has seen him climb the GB rankings to a career-high fourth.
The youngster has a busy tournament schedule this summer, which will include him playing in the prestigious ‘Road to Wimbledon’ international finals next month — an U14 event played on Wimbledon’s hallowed grass courts.
He will also be playing in several more Tennis Europe events, as well as the National Championships in Nottingham.
Arthur, a member of the Ryde Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, where he began playing as a five year old, trains three times a week in Bournemouth.
He was recently awarded a tennis scholarship to Prior Park College in Bath, which will allow him to train full time at Bath University’s tennis academy from September, while studying for his GCSEs.
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