Millfield Prep School tennis star Luke Hammond added to his array of trophies last Saturday as he cruised to victory in the U12 Clay Court National Championships at Queenswood Tennis Centre in Hertfordshire.
The Year 7 pupil produced a stunning display of tennis throughout the week before defeating Kent’s Thomas Wright 6-4 7-5 in the final.
On the slow clay courts, Hammond repeatedly outmanoeuvred his opponents, dropping just one set throughout the tournament.
He also teamed-up with his rival Wright in the doubles tournament, enjoying more success with a 6-1 6-4 victory in the final.
His coach at Millfield, Julie Sinkins, was delighted with his victories. She said: “Luke has done exceptionally well to win both the singles and doubles events at this tournament as his aggressive style of play is usually more suited to faster surfaces.
“His success has a lot to do with the work that he has put into his game over the past few months and he deserves this win.”
The achievement caps a remarkable year for the talented player, who is currently third in the British U12 rankings.
In May Hammond attended a 10-day training camp at the Total Tennis Academy in Barcelona as part of a national elite group. During the camp he even spent time with Rafael Nadal’s coach.
The 12-year-old also represented Great Britain in the 2010 Davis Cup and has played matches against a string of nations including Croatia, Holland and Germany.
Hammond currently has his attention on the upcoming Scottish Open and the Birmingham Junior International before he travels to Bournemouth in August with hopes of winning the Junior National Championships.
Unlike many of the top young players in Britain, the youngster still attends school full-time and combines his tennis training with his schoolwork. He is also a key member of the Millfield cricket team.
Luke also benefits from coaching from Nicola Payne at Millfield and is one of 400 up-and-coming players selected to be part of the LTA Aegon FutureStars programme.
He also has a contract with Wilson who supply him with tennis rackets and he is sponsored by Asda as a member of the Asda athletes programme.