Southbourne Tennis Club duo Shuei Belcher and Natalie Carter have secured the opportunity to play at the most famous tennis venue in the world after winning the Dorset Road To Wimbledon Finals.
The event, hosted by Bournemouth Gardens Tennis Club, saw the best under 14 players in the county compete for the chance to play at SW19.
Belcher came through the boys’ tournament dropping just six games in his four matches en route to the victory. He beat Cameron May 6-1, 6-0 in the semi-final before completing a dominant tournament performance with a 6-1 , 6-1 win over Finley Bygrave in the final.
Over in the girls’ draw, Carter was equally as impressive after she conceded only two games in two matches on her way to victory. After beating Millie Pike 6-0, 6-0 in the semis, Carter produced a brilliant display to win 6-2, 6-0 over Annabelle Lammas.
Southbourne Tennis Club Head Coach David Sanger said: “It is great to see two hard-working and dedicated juniors progressing through to Wimbledon and getting a wonderful opportunity to play at the best venue in the world against the best under 14s in the country. Natalie’s older brother had this opportunity three years ago and did well in the tournament as well so she knows what to expect.
“Both players got through with very solid performances and deserve to get through. We hope they enjoy themselves and work hard in their matches.”
The finals at Wimbledon will take place over the 12th to the 17th of August and Belcher and Carter will be setting their sights on the top prizes at the event. Last year, Dorset’s Sophia Haine played some excellent tennis on the way to a semi-final finish in the girls’ event. Also at the 2012 tournament, Ben Battey reached the final of the boys’ consolation event.
Click Here for more information on the Dorset Road To Wimbledon Finals
By Harry Lund
