Charlton qualifies for junior nationals (From Basingstoke Gazette)

Charlton qualifies for junior nationals

12:56pm Wednesday 14th June 2006 in Tennis

TOTALLY Tennis Tournament 1 performance player David Charlton has won through to the main draw in the Ariel British Junior National Championships.

Charlton is one of four players who won a qualifing place in the under-14 boys' event at Sutton Junior Tennis centre recently.

He will now compete in the main draw at the West Hants Tennis Club in Bournemouth in mid-August.

In the first round, Charlton beat William Juggins 6-4, 5-7, 7-5. He then defeated ninth-seed Jordan Bull in round two 6-3, 6-2, which put him in the final.

There he came up against the eighth seed, Mark Taylor, whom he beat 7-5, 6-2 to secure his main-draw place.

Also competing at Sutton was Charlton's clubmate Luke Miles, in the under-14 boys' category.

He went out 6-1, 6-2 to second seed and eventual qualifier Lewis Burton.

A third Totally Tennis player, Stephanie Catlin, competed in the under-14 girls' event. She also lost out to an eventual qualifier in seventh seed Lisa Mill 6-2, 6-3.

Rachel Whiteside competed at the Sutton event in the under-12 girls' category but she lost to Helena Phillips 6-3, 6-0.

The nationals are an opportunity for players of all standards to enter a top-level tournament and compete against the best players in the country.

The main draw event is for 32 players in each age group 16 players from qualifying events, 14 direct and two wild cards.

Totally Tennis head coach Shane Deacon said: "To have four players in national qualifying is a fantastic achievement and demonstrates the success of our extensive performance programme."

Other national competitions include the Ariel Winter Masters and the Tropicana British Tour Masters.