FOUR of Scotland’s best junior tennis players will appear alongside some of the legends of the sport when the ATP Champions Tour comes to Scotland for the Brodies Invitational in Gleneagles in just over two weeks time.
Taking place on the 22nd and 23rd of June, the event will feature a number of tennis greats including former British number one Tim Henman, former world number one Thomas Muster, former world number eight Mark Philippoussis, French Open finalist Henri Leconte, former world number nineteen Xavier Malisse.
The junior players involved will be Rosie Sterk, Lucia Rizza, Jacob Fearnley and Connor Thomson and the quartet will gain valuable experience as they head into the summer.
In particular, for Fearnley, who is currently ranked 4 in the UK at under-18 level, and Thomson, who is ranked 9 in the country at the same age-group, the event could be a timely warm-up for Junior Wimbledon, where they both hope to be awarded wildcards which would see them make their debuts in the Junior Championships at the All England Club.
Sterk and Rizza have also made their mark over the last year, becoming Scottish indoor doubles champions in March.
Colin Fleming, who is a former top 20 doubles player and is now national coach for Tennis Scotland, will also be making an appearance in Gleneagles and he admits he is hugely excited by the opportunity the young players will have to meet and learn from some of the greats of the game.
“The depth of junior tennis talent in Scotland is going from strength to strength and it’s a very exciting time for our sport,” he said.
“The Brodies Invitational offers our up-and-coming players a valuable opportunity to play in front of a large home crowd. And being part of the ATP Champions Tour, it’s also a great way for them to experience the atmosphere of major tennis events.”
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