A number of junior tennis players from Leeds have been retained on the Lawn Tennis Association’s (LTA) AEGON FutureStars Programme for a second consecutive year. Those players that have been reselected are:

• Gideon Fairhall, 12-years-old, trains at Leeds Carnegie Tennis Club
• Jonathan Gray, 12-years-old, trains at the High Performance Centre at Bolton Arena Tennis Academy
• Peter Ashley, 13-years-old, trains at Tennis Midlands International High Performance Centre
• Aaron Yang, 10-years-old, trains at Leeds Carnegie Tennis Club

These talented players are among 395 youngsters selected for the programme which recognises and supports some of the best juniors in the country based on the individual player’s talent ID assessment or ranking.

They were first awarded a place on the AEGON FutureStars programme in 2009 and after another successful year on court, they have been selected again as part of the 2010 intake of players. They will join top juniors from around the country who all receive varying levels of funding and support from the LTA.

Steven Martens, Player Director of the LTA, said: “Identifying talent from an early age onwards is crucial for the sport and we’re confident that the 395 AEGON FutureStars will demonstrate that we have a wealth of talent across the different age groups on the player pathway.

This year, 14 players have progressed through the AEGON FutureStars Programme to join the elite squad of performance players in Team AEGON. Martens said;

“It was very promising to see that a number of last year’s AEGON FutureStars made the transition to Team AEGON, demonstrating the progress our juniors are making. The main focus of the AEGON FutureStars Programme is to improve the quality of our junior player base and support their development.

“Tennis is a sport where skills need to be developed step by step, and we hope that each of these AEGON FutureStars will go on to reach their full potential through the support we provide.”

Championing the Leeds players’ selection is former British number one and US Grand Slam runner-up Greg Rusedski, who is the Talent ID Ambassador for the LTA.

“As AEGON FutureStars these players know that this is a great opportunity to improve their game and grow within the sport,” said Rusedski.

“They are some of the most talented youngsters in the country and I'm delighted they have been re-selected for AEGON FutureStars and I look forward to seeing their progress for a second year.

“Getting the right support when you are young is vital for any keen tennis player, but so too is enjoying the game and I’m hopeful that all of these promising youngsters continue to have a good combination of fun and support.

“It’s an exciting time to be involved in tennis and I take great pride in being named as the Talent ID Ambassador as there are many talented kids across the nation. We are now fully nurturing that talent and AEGON FutureStars is an integral part of that process.”

Elena Baltacha, Britain’s number one women’s player and a member of Team AEGON commented; “Getting the right sort of support is critical and the AEGON FutureStars Programme will help our best young players to fulfil their potential. As British number one, I benefit from AEGON’s sponsorship through the LTA and I feel so positive about the future of British tennis because their support runs all the way through the sport.

“I am now at a career high ranking and I love to think that I could inspire the young players working hard out there to be as good as they can be."

For more information please go to www.lta.org.uk