Go to this link for the Draws and Results
All finalists were photographed and Dana's interview follows:-
LINCOLNSHIRE tennis ace Dana Kenneally-Forrester will never be daunted by playing in front of packed crowds at Wimbledon – having already made a final on the hallowed turf at SW19.
The 14-year-old joined former British No.1 Tim Henman in south west London on Saturday for the HSBC Road to Wimbledon National 14 and Under Challenge Finals.
And Kenneally-Forrester, a pupil at Queen Elizabeth Grammar School, made it all the way to the girls’ consolation final before falling at the final hurdle.
Bournemouth’s Natalie Carter was her conqueror in the singles event, and after fighting her way back to a set apiece Kenneally-Forrester narrowly lost the match 6-0, 6-3 and then 10-7 in a thrilling tie-break.
“For years I have wanted to play at Wimbledon and now I have, maybe if I carry on working hard, I can be back here playing as a professional,” Kenneally-Forrester said. “I feel really pleased with myself that I have made it this far and playing here makes me want to keep improving my game. Seeing Andy Murray win this year was really good for Britain and his and Laura Robson’s success will really inspire young people to get involved in the sport.”
Kenneally-Forrester, a product of the David Lloyd Lincoln Tennis Club, even got the chance to meet former British number one Tim Henman – an ambassador for HSBC, sponsor of the Road to Wimbledon – as he spent time with the players, signed autographs, and posed for photos with the finalists.
“The excitement of coming through the gates is still the same for me. It has the best tennis tournament in the world and it is a huge motivating factor for all the kids,” said Henman, a four-time Wimbledon semi-finalist. “You see them out here on the grass where the greats of the game played and it is inspiring and that is where Wimbledon plays a huge part in generating the sport’s interest.”
The HSBC Road to Wimbledon National 14 & Under Challenge is the UK’s largest national junior grass court tournament and forms part of HSBC’s investment in the stars of the future
By Ryan Walters, Sportsbeat 0870 445 0156