TWO young north Hampshire tennis players, Hannah Smith and Eliza Wheeler, had a thrilling day at Wimbledon last Saturday.

Smith, from Silchester, and Wheeler, from Crondall, got the chance to play at SW19, as well as being given a tour around the grounds and getting access to areas that few are able to get into.

Each year the Lawn Tennis Association gives one region of tennis players the chance to show off their skills at Wimbledon and this year it was the turn of the South West, which includes Hampshire players.

The two nine-year-olds were selected as they are both national players at under-nine, with Smith, a pupil of Daneshill School in Stratfield Turgis, the current leader of the national leaderboard.

Wheeler, who attends Edgeborough in Farnham, currently lies in third place.

Both players train at David Lloyd in Southamp-ton, but previously played at Totally Tennis and before that Smith was at Manydown Tennis Centre.

Their day started with a 45 minute practice session at Roehampton, before going to Wimbledon, where they were given a private tour.

This included seeing the trophies inside Centre Court as well as walking down the main corridor and through the famous players’ double doors on to the most famous court at SW19.

After this, the south west players, including Smith and Wheeler, then gave a 45 minute demonstration of high-calibre drills and matchplay on court seven, which is in the shadow of Centre Court.

They were then given access to practice courts at the Aorangi Pavilion, standing court side and collecting autographs of players including Andy Murray.

Their great day is sure to inspire the pair, who have been selected to represent Hampshire in the junior county cup, which takes place in Cardiff later this month.