While all eyes will be on Sir Andy Murray to see whether he can successfully defend his Wimbledon crown, a tennis star from Ealing is looking for their own moment in the SW19 spotlight.
World number one Murray will once again spearhead the British charge when this year’s Championships get underway on Monday July 3.
And one person who will be watching on closely will be 14-year-old Luka Petrovic, safe in the knowledge he has already secured his own spot at the world-famous venue.
It comes after the Harefield Academy pupil triumphed at the last weekend’s HSBC Road to Wimbledon South East boys Regional Qualifier at West Worthing Tennis Club.
He will now play in the National Finals of the HSBC Road to Wimbledon 14 & Under Challenge at the All England Club between August 14 and 19, where the youngster, whose parents hail from Serbia, will be looking to walk away overall champion of the tournament.
And with Murray aiming to win Wimbledon for the third time and equal fellow Brit Fed Perry’s record, Petrovic, who trains at Northwood tennis club, admits he can’t wait for his own chance to step on the famous grass courts.
“We arrived on the Saturday but had to go home and come back the next day, and I just had such a big urge to play on the grass,” said Petrovic, who beat Charlie Pycroft 6-2 6-4 in the final round.
“It’s like when you want something so bad and it’s so close but you have to wait another day, so I was excited to get on the court.
“Grass is probably the hardest surface for the legs. It’s even harder than clay because you just have to stay so low in like a squat position for the whole match.
“I’m really happy.”
Joining Petrovic at SW19 will be Heston’s Camilla Gretschel, who progressed through the South East girls regional qualifier at the AELTC Community Sports Ground in Raynes Park.
The 14-year-old, a pupil at Gumley Convent School, who trains at David Lloyd Heston, beat Abisola Pitan 6-4 6-2 in the final round.
“I was really happy with the way I played – I tried to be as aggressive as I could and fortunately, it worked out,” said Gretschel.
“I’m really pleased with my performance because I always lose to the girl I played against, so I was really happy that I managed to get the win and qualify.
“My hero is Jelena Ostapenko – what she has done at the French Open is inspirational and she’s only 20-years-old, and she managed to win it. That motivates me a lot.”
The HSBC Road to Wimbledon National 14 & Under Challenge forms part of HSBC’s investment in grassroots tennis; an area of the sport the Official Banking Partner of The Championships has been supporting since 2008.
Each year over 10,000 youngsters take part in the series of national tennis tournaments, helping to inspire the next generation of Wimbledon stars to take their tennis careers from the back garden to Centre Court.
HSBC is the Official Banking Partner of The Championships and is committed to supporting grassroots tennis, helping to inspire the next generation of Wimbledon stars to take their tennis careers from the back garden to Centre Court through the HSBC Road to Wimbledon 14 & Under Challenge. @HSBC_sport
