AEGON British Junior National Championships begin

The AEGON British Junior National Championships began in earnest as almost 100 players took to the courts at the Nottingham Tennis Centre.

Three age categories are competing in the East Midlands but it was the turn of the 14 and under players to take centre stage on Sunday as they looked to book a place in round two.

The top eight seeds in both draws received byes into the second round so Surrey’s Luke Stevenson was the highest ranked boy in action and he didn’t disappoint.

Ninth seed Stevenson rounded off a 6-4, 6-4 victory against Matthew Story and will now play Kent’s James Davis for a place in the last 16.

Top seed Jay Clarke from Derbyshire will play Luke Simkiss in the second round following the Warwickshire ace’s battling 7-5, 5-7, 6-4 win against Charlie Hutchings from Lancashire.

Clarke’s Derbyshire rival Sam Ferguson is set for a match against Max Lacount after his 6-3, 6-1 win against Dominic West while Luke Hammond, last year’s 12 and under champion, prospered 6-0, 6-0 over Alexander Parker.

In the girls half of the draw, Sussex’s Naomi Jackson and Georgia Lawson from Nottinghamshire played out the match of the round.

Jackson edged the first set 6-4 before Lawson battled back to take it in to a decider. But Jackson proved to be too strong, taking the match 6-4, 4-6, 6-2 and will now face thirteenth seed Georgie Walker.

Ninth seed Eden Richardson is safely into the round of 32 following her 6-3, 6-3 win against Hannah Vickers. Richardson, from Cheshire, will now play Yorkshire’s Lidia Burrows.

Top seed Jazzi Plews will face Dorset’s Megan Rogers after Rogers beat Lily Ghodrati 6-2, 6-3 while second seed Maia Lumsden will take on Asha Badiani from Oxfordshire.

The AEGON British Junior National Championships is the national level junior tournament and has seen past champions including British number 1 Andy Murray and Elena Baltacha.