HSBC Road to Wimbledon

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Official HSBC film page http://www.sparkymediaproductions.com/wimbledon/

The HSBC Road to Wimbledon 2012 started in April with the clubs and
schools events taking place all across Great Britain. By the end of
July, all the County Finalists and runners-up had earned their places
at the national finals by qualifying through the initial two stages of
competition.

Tournament Director Paul Hutchins along with ITF referees Denise
Parnell and Peter Finn orchestrated the completion of over 140 group
stage matches during the first two days of the competition, having to
contest with just a few rain delays, all matches were completed in
time for the player’s party on Tuesday evening.

Next it was on to the knockout competitions, four singles, and 2
doubles draws, played over the remaining four days decided the winners
of the 2012 HSBC Road to Wimbledon 14 & under national challenge after
a week of exceptional junior lawn tennis.

This year, Warwickshire was the home county of the boys’ singles
champion, Luke Hammond, 13, who is already taller than our Tournament
Ambassador Tim Henman and showing he could be a great grass court
player. With a year to go in the 14 & under age group Luke already has
his sights set on attempting to defend his title in 2013.

Hertfordshire gave us the girls’ singles champion, Emily Arbuthnott,
14, who trains at Batchwood Tennis Centre, a club suffered greatly
recently having its indoor facilities destroyed in a fire 12 months
ago.

Emily will be remembered as only the third girl to have won both the
singles and doubles event in the tournaments history. After winning
the singles, she partnered singles runner-up from Yorkshire, Holly
Horsfall, 14, to scoop both titles adding to an already memorable week
of tennis.

James Davis, 13, of Kent and Piers Foley, 14, of Berkshire were
crowned boys’ doubles champions denying Luke Hammond the clean sweep
of titles who with his talented team mate Barnaby Smith of
Buckinghamshire will have to settle for the runner-up trophies.

The consolation draws give the players who came third and fourth in
the group stages a chance to enjoy more competitive experience, and
East of Scotland’s Heather Croll, who just turned 13, won the girls
consolation singles and like Luke could be back next year.

Lancashire’s Robert Edwards triumphed in the boys’ consolation singles
and like all the champions had his Waterford crystal tennis ball
presented by Tim Henman and John Barrett.

“This has been a great week for HSBC Road to Wimbledon here at the
Bank of England sports Ground, Roehampton, where every year they play
the Wimbledon qualifier competition, the tournament is here because of
the Olympics at The All England Club. I’d like to thank the clubs ,
schools and Counties for their cooperation in getting the first two
stages completed, and I’d like to thank Tim Henman for his support
along with Dan Bloxham of the WJTI for running the clinic, and John
Barrett who came up with the vision for this national competition over
ten years ago.”

A delightful Saturday greeted the finalists of HSBC Road to Wimbledon 2012, and with Tim Henman in attendance it was the perfect day for lawn tennis.

After an epic second set, Luke Hammond of Warwickshire triumphed over Kent’s James Davis 6-2, 7-6(7)to be crowned boys singles champion, and on the adjacent court, it was the unswerving number one seed Emily Arbuthnott who overcame Yorkshire’s Holly Horsfall 6-4, 6-1.

Hammond said at the trophy presentation “It feels really good to be the boys champion. I played really well today, stuck to the game plan and even though the second set was really close against James Davis I still managed to do it. Feels good also to be a runner-up in the doubles, I’m definitely going to come back to HSBC Road to Wimbledon next year.”

Hertfordshire’s first Road to Wimbledon girls’ champion Emily Arbuthnott said, “It’s amazing to have won HSBC Road to Wimbledon, I’m really very happy. It was a tough final but I’m so glad I came through it in the end. The whole week has been fantastic, the weather has been really nice and there has been a great atmosphere all week.”

In the consolation finals Robert Edwards of Lancashire defeated Benjamin Battey from Dorset 6-2, 7-5. And the girls’ consolation winner from the East of Scotland, Heather Croll prevailed 6-4, 7-5 over Kate Clayson of Northamptonshire.

The doubles were contested in the sweltering midday heat. And in the girls’ doubles Emily Arbuthnott completed the clean sweep of trophies partnering with Holly Horsfall to win 6-4, 6-2 over Sophia Haine of Dorset and Holly Hutchinson of Buckinghamshire.

James Davis, runner up in the boys’ singles partnered Piers Foley to win the boy’s doubles trophy to deny 6-1, 6-2 Luke Hammond and Barnaby Smith.

HSBC Road to Wimbledon reached its conclusion with the trophy presentation with Tim Henman, John Barrett of the All England Club, and Paul Hutchins Tournament Director signing off an inspirational week of junior tennis.

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Thursday featured two rounds of highly competitive singles in the main draw and consolation draw. For those who won their first match they were into the quarter-finals and would later do battle for a place in the last four.

It was the number one seed in the boys’ singles, Piers Foley, that became the first major casualty of the day losing to unseeded Barnaby Smith of Buckinghamshire, who also defeated seventh ranked Jack Burkill to reach the semi-finals.

Luke Hammond and James Davis were the only two players to have reached the semi-finals without dropping sets making the third and fourth seeds the ones to beat, as they are showing great grass court form and elevate themselves to serious contenders for reaching the final.

Lucas Percy of Kent completes the final four after overcoming Jamie Oakes in a tense three setter and then defeating unseedewd Hampshire boy William Coward 6-2, 6-2.

The girls top four seeds continued their ascent to the latter stages, top seed Emily Arbuthnott eased to the semi-finals and will now face fourth seed Sophia Haine, while second seed Holly Hutchinson will meet Holly Horsfall the third seed of Yorkshire for a place in Saturday’s final.

All the competitors today have played incredible tennis this week on the Roehampton grass at HSBC Road to Wimbledon. With the singles and doubles trophies within sight for those still left we now approach the business end of HSBC Road to Wimbledon 2012.

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The Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Museum came to The Road to Wimbledon during a brief spell of rain on Day 3.

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After an incredible Olympic tennis event staged at the home of The Championships featuring many of the greatest competitors in the history of the game proudly representing their country, our attention now turns to the largest junior lawn tennis event in Great Britain, the HSBC Road to Wimbledon national finals.

The legacy of the Games is the promise to ‘Inspire a generation.’ With the efforts of clubs, schools and County organisers, the national finals is then made that little bit special as always with the support of Olympic silver medallist Tim Henman, the HSBC Road to Wimbledon ambassador. And with the presence of tournament director Paul Hutchins, fresh from the golden successes of the British Olympic men’s team under his leadership, all involved in the junior event will now be looking to deliver a memorable week sharing their fondness of the game and embracing the Olympic feel good factor sweeping the nation.

When the competitors arrive on Sunday at Roehampton they will no doubt be talking about where they were when Andy Murray and Laura Robson delivered gold and silver for the home nation, and there will be added incentive for the HSBC Road to Wimbledon national finalists to prove they can also be be faster, higher, stronger while experiencing grass court tennis Wimbledon-style.

Being at Roehampton this year is a one-off move for the tournament breaking the tradition of being contested on the Aorangi Practice Courts. A small price to pay for being able to enjoying all London 2012 has had to offer Great Britain’s tennis fans.

On Monday morning it will be business as usual for the Sixty-four boys and 64 girls that will be attempting to become our 11th HSBC Road to Wimbledon champions on Saturday.

The Bank of England Sports Centre is a wonderful venue and is the traditional home of the Wimbledon Qualifiers. Throughout the history of The Championships the exquisite Roehampton club has served as a springboard for the players knocking on the door of the Grand Slam
main draws.

There can be no doubt that the Roehampton grass courts have helped to provide some of the greatest Wimbledon tales of Championships gone by. The longest match in Wimbledon history in 2011 featured a qualifier, Nicolas Mahut of France, who arrived triumphant from Roehampton to reach the main draw where he challenged John Isner of the USA, and on
Court 18, made Grand Slam history in an epic 11 hours and five minutes trilogy that began on Tuesday afternoon and concluded late on Thursday with American John Isner emerging victorious in their first round match 6-4, 3-6, 6-7(7), 7-6(3), 70-68.

A former SW19 champion also has a Roehampton tale to tell, John McEnroe began his illustrious Wimbledon career as a fearless teen at the Bank of England Sports Centre, it was in 1977 the American left-hander rose from the qualifying rounds to arrive at his first main draw and stun the world by serving and volleying his way to the Wimbledon semi-finals.

The 12th HSBC Road to Wimbledon national finals promises to be a special occasion providing the next generation of players the opportunity to live their Wimbledon dream.

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Every year the lawns of Roehampton play an important role in deciding who will get to compete in the main draws at Wimbledon, and this year the HSBC Road to Wimbledon National Finals will be contested at The Bank of England Sports Centre, home of The Championships qualifiers. (Photographed by N.Tingle / AELTC)

Click here to apply to host a HSBC Road to Wimbledon 2012 Stage 1 Competition

Hi all,

The New Year has gathered pace and we are looking ahead to another exciting HSBC Road To Wimbledon in 2012.

There is an online entry form which I hope you will read thoroughly as the tournament format is fully explained.

This particular entry form needs to be filled in only by a club or school and not an individual player as this is for applications to host a local tournament. Once completed it needs to be sent to the appropriate County Organiser who will process all applications to host a Stage One event in their area.

Remember, entries close on 31st January, in some circumstances it may be later at the discretion of the host County. All clubs & schools need to plan to run their Road To Wimbledon tournament during April and May with the County Finals in June or July, the National Finals are to be held the week of 13 August 2012.

Please come back to me if any there are any queries and I wish you all a Happy and Prosperous 2012 Olympic Year.

Best wishes,

Paul Hutchins

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The girls and boys took to the Wimbledon courts on a beautiful morning at The All England Club bathed in glorious sunshine and bustling with excitement with players from all over the country eager to get on court and spend a couple of hours with Tim Henman, who as tournament ambassador every year shares his experience of the professional tour with competitors by running a tennis clinic, before lending a hand giving out the trophies.

Just when the girls’ singles had ended and Hannah Brett of Berkshire took the main draw title battling from a set down to get the better of Olivia Noble 4-6, 6-1, 6-4. And Amy Johns of Cornwall who won her consolation final 6-2, 6-2, against West of Scotland girl Katherine Mcphie, the rain arrived like it does every so often, but for only the second time in the tournaments ten year history on the final day.

This forced the boys finals to leave the grass outside to go indoors along with all doubles finals.

And once the main draw champion William Bissett of Wiltshire conquered yet another top seed Mason Recci 6-4, 4-6, 7-5 in one of the best boys finals the tournament has ever witnessed, and consolation draw winner Andrew Isaac of Lincolnshire emerged as victor in a 6-7(4), 6-3, 10-2 close tie with Durham & Cleveland’s Ryan Bainbridge, the singles event had been completed for another year.

Just after the doubles pairs had also shaken hands with their opponenents and the tournament reached the end of the road, Paul Hutchins, tournament director, and very special guests Angela Mortimer, the 1961 Wimbledon ladies’ singles champion, Julian Tatum of the All England Club committee and “the voice of tennis” John Barrett assisted by Carol Bagnald, HSBC Commercial Director for London gave the Waterford crystal ornaments and HSBC cheques to all the finalists.

Once the presentation was complete the tournament had officially ended and for the tenth time our champions and runners-up and all who took part have great memories to treasure forever.

After being crowned boy’s singles champion William Bissett said “To be the tenth HSBC Road to Wimbledon champion feels really, really great. I was a bit nervous before the match, but all my matches have been tough so I knew I was well prepared to play Mason. Before the rain delay I started well and after a bit of a wait we continued where we left off in the 8th game and I managed to keep it going to take the opener 6-4.”

“Then in the second set I lost my rhythm and was playing catch up after giving Recci a 2-0 head start. He makes a lot of balls so I knew I had to try and keep him moving and I tried to come in to the net quite a lot.”

“Competing in the HSBC Road to Wimbledon National Finals feels more special than any other event because you know that the pro’s have been here. It is amazing to still be a junior and be able to play here on the grass.”

After overcoming the nerves and a fierce contest with Olivia Noble, the new girls champion Hannah Brett said, “It feels really good to be champion. This morning I was nervous before the match, being at Wimbledon this final is different to any other. The start of the match the nerves got hold of me and I couldn’t get my legs going or hit through the ball properly while my opponent started really well. I went 2-0 up in the second set and started to feel better and changed tactics to be more aggressive.”

Brett adds, “When Olivia came back in the third set to 2-2, I was shaking but I managed to come through and win. I’d like to thank the organisers Paul Hutchins, Denise Parnell and Peter Finn for a fantastic tournament and HSBC as well for a fantastic week. And I’d like to thank my mum and dad for supporting me today.”

The players have toughed it out for six days now here at The All England Club and at last we have our elite bunch of fourteen year olds that will contest Saturdays finals.

In the boy’s singles final, fourth seed Mason Recci will represent Warwickshire after dismantling the charge of number one seed George Hedley 6-3, 6-3. The boy from Solihull will do battle against a strong contender for the title, William Bissett, who as the 10th seed is through to the tenth final after his marathon match with Miles McDowall 4-6, 7-6(1), 6-2. So both Recci and Bissett will go head-to-head tomorrow having got the better of the top two seeds, and two best players around in their age group.

While in the girls’ singles final we can look forward to watching the top two seeds as unlike the boys, they have gone through. Hannah Brett eliminated doubles team mate and fellow Berkshire girl Chloe Lant, 6-3, 6-4, and another talented Chloe suffered at the hands of Yorkshire’s Olivia Noble who won 7-5, 6-1 over two-time semi-finalist from Wimbledon, Chloe Halliday.

The consolation draw and the doubles draws are also at the final stage after battling in the soaring heat and will be featuring on the final day of the 10th HSBC Road to Wimbledon.

Isaac Andrew of Lincolnshire will play Ryan Bainbridge of Durham & Cleveland and Cornish girl Amy Johns will meet Katherine Mcphie from the West of Scotland.

Surrey boys Nicholas Nugent and Freddie McGheehan will be trying to deny the resilient Cambridgeshire and Wiltshire duo of Joshua Wilson and William Bissett, who is in with a shout of two trophies.

Second seeds Madeleine Brooks of Norfolk and Zoe Douglas of Cambridgeshire are up against seventh seeds from Herts, Mollie Crouch and Elizabeth Hodge.

As always Tim Henman will be in attendance giving a clinic and handing out the trophies at the presentation in the afternoon.

On a day where the rain finally came in and disrupted play from 2 o’clock until the close of play forcing some of the matches that had not been completed to head indoors, we now look ahead to a dry Friday and the semi-finals in the singles. The doubles events are also tantalisingly close to reaching their conclusions.

The top four seeds in the girls have lived up to their rankings and will face each other on Friday for a place in the final.

Chloe Halliday from Surrey is through to the HSBC Road to Wimbledon semi-finals for the second year running after getting the better of Hert girl Mollie Crouch 6-1, 6-0 and is looking to go one better than last year.

After her match Halliday said, “Playing in the semi-finals last year was nerve racking. At the beginning of the week I was having trouble with my forehand and yesterday I went to Wimbledon Park to practice with Dan Bloxham and the WJTI to sort things out.” Chloe adds, “I’m a year older and a bit stronger now. It’s my last year in the 14 and unders so I’m really going to go for it.”

Facing Halliday for a place in the final is Yorkshire’s Olivia Noble who saved two match points in the second set to turn her match with thirteen year old Holly Hutchinson around after two-and-a-half hours on court 3-6, 7-5, 6-1.

Doubles partners and Berkshire girls will renew their rivalry with each other in the top half of the draw for the right to face
either Halliday or Noble for the 10th HSBC Road to Wimbledon girls’ title.

Hannah Brett said about her good friend and partner in the doubles, “We’ve played each other lots of times since we were 10 years old. At first I used to lose all the time to her but since I’ve been going to Win Tennis Academy I’ve won more of our recent matches so it’s going to be quite interesting.”

In the boys all but one of the top four have reached the semi-finals after tenth seed William Bissett from Wiltshire edegd out the third seed from Surrey, Nicholas Nugent 4-6, 6-4, 6-3. The match was for the most part played outdoors whne at 4-1 to Bisset in the third the rain came down and the boy’s headed to Wimbledon’s indoor courts. The delay did not effect Bisset who kept his lead to knock out Nugent.

George Hedley, the number one seed is yet to drop a set having conquered Sussex boy Ben Horton 6-4, 6-2 to reach the last four. Hedley said ” At Bournemouth I came runner-up and I won the doubles with Miles McDowall so I’ve been playing well and I feel confident on the grass.”

Mason Recci of Warwickshire, the fourth seed, will meet Hedley after his greater consistency and ability to handle the pressure eventually prevailed over Joshua Wilson from Cambridgeshire 6-2, 5-7, 6-0.

Second seed Miles McDowall was embroiled in a thoroughky entertaining match with 13 year old Marcus Walters. The second seed looked on his way out but turned it around to defeat the talented Nottinghamshire single-hander 3-6, 7-5, 6-3. McDowall will meet Bisset for a place in the final.

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Professional sports photographer Tommy Hindley captures the 10th HSBC Road to Wimbledon girls’ singles quarter-finals.

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It was the perfect start to the 10th HSBC Road to Wimbledon, Monday began with half an hour’s practice at 10am and after being granted the use of The Championships courts 14 to 19, it was full steam ahead on Day 1 of the National Finals, with the fortunate few, smiling intently picking up their racquet bags and heading off to play in the heart of The All England Club under the shadows of Centre Court and No.1 Court.

As the clock struck one o’clock our world class team of Wimbledon referees were in “the zone” working non-stop putting the National Finals forty-five minutes ahead of schedule by lunch-time, sending out wave after wave of boys and girls matches on to the lawns to play.

The matches were all played in good spirits and the support of the families and coaches helped create a mini-Wimbledon atmosphere on a warm and pleasant day.

In the first wave of 32 matches, nine boys matches went to a nail-biting deciding tie-break, the rest were decided in straight sets.

Playing at Wimbledon for the first time is for all who love tennis a memory to treasure, and a rare privilege provided by the All England Club and HSBC.

At the stroke of two o’clock, after a brief rest to recharge the batteries, the boys came back out after the girls had their first taste of Wimbledon competition. A cool breeze brought with it a cluster of clouds replacing the sweltering heat of the morning and the players had to adapt to the changeable conditions.

There were 126 matches completed today and among the favourites for the title, and no major upsets for the top ten seeds in both boys and girls singles opening Round Robin matches.

Potential upsets were turned around for the fourth seeds. Chloe Halliday, 14, from Surrey, was pushed to the final set tie-break by 14-year-old Ruth Horsburgh of Worcestershire, but eventually Halliday found her game to win through 6-1, 3-6, (10-6). In his second group D match, Mason Recci, 14, Warwickshire’s fourth seed, was forced to come from a set down but managed to finish with a flourish to win his second match of the day against Michael Barry of Wiltshire 3-6, 6-1, (10-0).

With one more group match to be played on Tuesday the doubles will start from 12.30. The doubles draws and the rest of the Round Robin scores from Day 1 can be viewed in the 2011 draws and results section.

Schedule of Play for Tuesday 16 August 2011

After a period of relative quiet inside the Grounds of The All England Club, as courts are repaired and members are left in peace to take a turn on the infamous grass courts, mayhem returns to SW19 from Monday 15 August in the form of the HSBC Road to Wimbledon finals.

The prestigious junior event, the UK’s largest national junior grass court tourmament is open to girls and boys aged 14&U from all over the country, who have been battling it out since the spring for the chance to play in the finals at Aorangi Park.

Beginning with local tournaments held at clubs up and down the country in the spring, juniors then progress to the County finals, in June and July. Every club who enters the Road to Wimbledon is automatically represented at the County finals by at least one member.

After a torturous week battling it out for the chance to emulate Tim Henman and Andy Murray by playing on Wimbledon’s grass, 44 County finals winners and 20 runners-up qualify for next week’s national finals.

Famous winners of the past include 2010 Junior Wimbledon boys’ doubles champion Tom Farquharson from Surrey, who was crowned Road to Wimbledon champion in 2005. Other prominent juniors to take part include Somerset’s James Marsalek and Josh Milton from South Wales.

“Playing on the courts at Wimbledon was an incredible feeling,” said Farquharson. “One of the best, and most memorable tournaments I can remember playing at that age.”

2011 marks the 10th anniversary of the tournament, the brain child of HSBC and tournament director Paul Hutchins, aided at every turn by Henman, event ambassador and there are plans to hold a Road to Wimbledon in China, India and Brazil in the future.

“The HSBC Road to Wimbledon is a wonderful way to inspire future generations of British tennis talent,” said Henman, ambassador to the event. “As it celebrates its tenth anniversary this year, it is hugely apparent that competitions like these are a fantastic way to help nurture British tennis.

I will always remember the first time that I played at Wimbledon and I look forward to sharing this experience with this year’s finalists. Together with The AELTC and the LTA, the tournament’s sponsor HSBC continue to help cultivate all this young talent. It is a great pleasure to be able to help the bank support the stars of the future.”

This year’s tournament is set to feature a highly competitive field, with many players rated 6.2, including the WJTI’s Chloe Halliday, who took part in the HBSC Road to Wimbledon Clinic alongside four visiting Chinese juniors, Henman, and WJTI coach Dan Bloxham. Chloe also reached the semi-finals last year.

The round robin boxes are below for competitors to view:

Day 1: Boy’s Boxes

Day 1: Girls’ Boxes

The All England Club, in collaboration with official banking partner to The Championships, HSBC, has been working to help promote tennis at grass roots across Great Britain by annually orchestrating the nation’s largest lawn tennis event, the Road to Wimbledon.

For 10 years, the HSBC Road to Wimbledon has given the opportunity for thousands of boys and girls to sample competitive tennis at their local clubs and schools with the chance to come to The All England Club for the national finals. Now they have decided to export its success to help grow the sport at the grass roots in China.

This week, four gifted Chinese junior tennis players are enjoying the trip of a lifetime, and are here on a five-day VIP trip, which began on Thursday in London at the state of the art Chiswick Riverside High Performance Centre, on the banks of the River Thames.

Today they were fine-tuning their skills at Reeds School Tennis Academy in the heart of Surrey, getting to see how things are done there and practising their ground strokes ready for a visit to Wimbledon on Middle Saturday. There they will join HSBC ambassador, Tim Henman, the Wimbledon Junior Tennis Initiative kids and also the 2010 HSBC Road To Wimbledon winners, Christopher Morrow and Freya Christie, on the Court 14, to play tennis and watch The Championships.

The two boys, Hu Liu and Teng Ma, and girls, Zhuoma Gerong and Zhima Du, have been preparing their games with the Reeds School tennis academy players.

Ben Haran, the head coach at Reed, spoke about the Chinese visit. “It was really good hosting the Chinese boys and girls, who obviously have a lot of potential to become good tennis players, and with all the interest in Chinese tennis at present,” he said. “Our kids enjoyed training with the juniors.”

Tournament Director for HSBC Road to Wimbledon, Paul Hutchins, was also at Reeds overseeing the groundbreaking visit. He said: “The Chinese juniors are having a great experience over here visiting different tennis facilities. Going to Reeds and seeing one of the top British schools for tennis was a real eye-opener for the juniors and Chinese team leader. So far the trip has been a great success.”

Wimbledon looks forward to welcoming them on Saturday.

The HSBC Road To Wimbledon 14 & Under National Challenge: A True Wimbledon Experience. Featuring Tim Henman, Tournament Director Paul Hutchins, and the competitors of the 2010 National Finals.

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