21 April 2011 | Tennis Victoria

Jacob Grills hopes to one day play on the tennis professional tour, make the top 100,  win a Grand Slam and be the best player he can be.

Born in Stawell, Jacob started playing tennis at age four with his brother Matt, but his fascination with the game started much earlier.

“I reckon he had a racquet in his hand as soon as he could walk,” said his mum, Jacinta.

“As a toddler he had a totem tennis bat in his hand all the time. He stood at the back of the tennis court when Tim (Jacob’s dad) and I were playing as soon as he could stand!”

Jacob was first coached by Mark Fisher in Ocean Grove, who has since become a great family friend and mentor for Jacob.

Now 15, Jacob is a member of Tennis Victoria’s State Academy. He trains twice a week in Melbourne and the rest of the week he trains with his private coach, Simon Keeble, and plays at Geelong Lawn and Ocean Grove Tennis Clubs.

Jacob is a student at Bellarine Secondary College who are very supportive of his tennis endeavours, allowing him to take a reduced study load so he can concentrate on his tennis career.

“Bellarine Secondary College have been excellent with him, helping him balance his studies,” said Jacinta.

“He’ll keep studying as well as training and playing. He always fits study in around his tennis.”

“Tennis always comes first.”

Jacob describes his game style as an aggressive baseliner and his favourite surface to play on is clay.

Currently ranked No.2 in Victoria for his birth year and No.240 overall in Australia, Jacob recently made the semifinals of the 2011 Optus 16s National Claycourt Championships in Queensland, a feat he rates as one of his best moments on court, as well as winning a Premier League match when he played for Geelong Lawn Tennis Club in 2010.

Jacob hopes to one day represent Australia in Junior Davis Cup, but for now will be concentrating on representing Victoria in the Pizzey Cup for the first time, which will take place in Bendigo from 30 April – 7 May.