It was another highly successful year for Team Bath MCTA Tennis Academy players at the British Junior National Tennis Championships, held at Nottingham Tennis Centre, with two winners and a finalist.
Samm Butler became the new under-18 boys’ singles champion, while Youssef Hassan won the under-18 boys’ doubles title with partner Lewis Roskilly. Dan Little was runner-up in the under-16 boys’ singles.
Butler’s victory in the under-18 boys’ singles means the trophy will be returning to Bath for the fourth time in as many years following the successes of Scott Clayton, Toby Martin and Richard Gabb – all of whom are now playing professionally with the Team Bath MCTA senior squad.
Butler, seeded two, secured a straightforward final victory over Ryan Peniston ,the top seed for the event, 6-2 6-3.
The new boys’ under-18 champion, who has trained at Team Bath for six years and attends Ralph Allen School, played at this year’s Junior Wimbledon. He did not drop a set all week at Nottingham and thoroughly deserved the title.
Youssef Hassan made it a boys’ under-18 double for Team Bath with victory in the doubles event partnering Lewis Roskilly.
Dan Little, who was under-14 singles champion two years ago, just missed out on the boys’ under-16 crown, going down to Enrique Vidal after losing a very close first set tie-breaker.
Chloe Moxham also performed well to reach the girls’ quarter finals at the under-18, with new recruit Grace Dixon making the semi-finals. Seb Butler, Freddie McGeehan and Will Bissett all reached the second round of the under-16 boys’ singles, with Eden Richardson reaching the second round of the girls’ under-14s.
