Wales’ national tennis team has won the 2018 Home Nations Championships which took place in Belfast. Helping to lead the 12-strong team to overall victory were two players who competed in this year’s Junior Wimbledon Championships.
Wales became overall champions for the first time since 2015 finishing as winners of the under 18 age group and runners up in both the under 14 and under 12 age groups.
The event has taken place for a number of decades and is the only time in the year when the home nations compete against each other in tennis. This year’s event took place over three days (7-9 September) with all countries playing each other in the three age groups.
Team Wales Manager, Chris Lewis said: “Team Wales went to Belfast highly motivated and well prepared with a number of players in the team who have represented Great Britain this year or who have won international and national titles. The players competed with passion and with a lot of quality and thoroughly deserved their victory. Ireland is a tough place to go and win and to do so was a fantastic achievement for all involved”.
The team was made up of the following players and non-playing captains:
Wales U12
Non-playing captain, Becca Strelzyn (Talent Support Officer, Tennis Wales Ltd)
Gracie Hurley, Port Talbot (David Lloyd, Swansea)
Mimi Xu, Swansea (Swansea Tennis Centre)
Conor Flynn, Porth
Viktor Frydrych, Bolton (Bolton Academy)
Wales U14
Non-playing captain, Claire Powell (David Lloyd Cardiff)
Aditi Chezhian, Wrexham (Ellesmere College)
Elina Pickerd-Barua, Cardiff (Bath Academy)
Hugo Cochlin, Cardiff (Cardiff Met)
Jethro Dela Vega, Swansea (Swansea Tennis Centre)
Wales U18
Non-playing captain, Chris Lewis (Team Wales Manager, Tennis Wales Ltd)
Elinor Beazley, Swansea (Bath Academy)
Morgan Cross, Mold (Bath Academy) – played Junior Wimbledon 2018
Finn Murgett, Homefirth (Bolton)
James Story, Cardiff (Cardiff Met) – played Junior Wimbledon 2018
Simon Johnson, Interim CEO Tennis Wales said;
“This is a great achievement for all the Welsh players who have competed internationally and beaten some superb national sides. We’re hugely grateful to Sport Wales for their continued support and investment into tennis and we’re currently working with both Sport Wales and our partners at the LTA to invest in new county, regional & national training programmes to support more Welsh talent to succeed”
