Tournament Director Paul Hutchins writes about today
Well after the tournament starting as long ago as March, we have now come the full Road To Wimbledon circle and we are ready for the 2010 Finals.
So many competitors have enjoyed themselves and we have been incredibly lucky with the weather and been on grass all week and played just a couple of hours indoors.
Great to see the ‘top brass’ at the semi-finals today. All England Club Chairman Tim Phillips, and the President, and Vice President of the LTA Derek Howarth, and Peter Bretherton, as well as John Barrett, one of the key originators of the event all showing great interest.
Locally all eyes were on Chloe Halliday who although losing in the semi-finals has performed so well this week. Chloe has so many Wimbledon credentials.
She began her tennis from her local Wimbledon school when head coach of the Wimbledon Junior Tennis Initiative (WJTI) Dan Bloxham visited the school to promote the WJTI for local juniors to attend sessions at the All England Club.
The closeness to the WJTI has been there ever since. Chloe who lives in Wimbledon and goes to school in Wimbledon plays at West Side Tennis Club in Wimbledon Village under the coaching supervision of Alison Taylor the wife of former British Wimbledon semi-finalist Roger Taylor.
Quite a story in the making and a credit to the WJTI, and Dan Bloxham with his dedicated team of coaches working hard with the full support of the Club.
Daniella Silva, 14, who won through her school Road To Wimbledon competition from Culford School in Bury St Edmunds lives in Portugal and will play Freya Christie, 13, who beat Sarah Wray in probably the best match so far of the week. It was a pity someone had to lose.
And now lets look at the boy’s. Second seed in Lucus Taylor lost to a gutsy Giles Waterson who unbelievably did not drop a game in the club or county event to qualify for the finals here.
It will be a fascinating final on Saturday as Waterson play’s the first seed Chris Morrow from Gloucestershire who lost in the quarter final of the consolation event in 2009 who did incredibly well after dropping the first set today to turn things around against big serving Reuben Henry from Scotland.
The boy’s and girls’ consolation and doubles are also very important and all who made it through to the finals will be starting at 10.30 sharp on Saturday morning at the same time as the Tim Henman and Dan Bloxham clinic where 24 lucky boys and girls will take part in a fun training session.
