4 October 2012 | Tennis Victoria

A group of Victoria’s best tennis players recently travelled to Sydney to compete in the junior equivalent of the Grand Slams.

The 12s and 14s Nationals are the pinnacle event on the junior calendar and provide maximum Australian Ranking points for each age group.  The four events spread out across the year attract the best junior players from around the country all aiming to win a prestigious national title.

Victorian players have traditionally experienced success at these events in the past again they excelled at the highest level.

Richard Yang (Lower Templestowe) is a part of Tennis Australia’s National Academy and won his very first 14s Nationals title after defeating Cole Ingram (Queensland) 6-3 7-6 in a hard-fought final.

“Richard used his impressive court craft to secure another National title, his first in the 14s age group,” said Tennis Victoria’s Player Development Coordinator Emily Rea.

“He is a fighter who really loves the competitive battle and fights hard to get over the line,” Rea added.

Caleb Boland (Lysterfield) continued his impressive run of form, claiming his second consecutive 14s doubles title, after pairing with Cole Ingram(QLD) to defeat Kody Pearson (NSW) and Moerani Bouzige (QLD) in the final.

Destanee Aiava (Narre Warren) has had an outstanding year and continued that form into the Nationals. She was runner up in the girls 14s singles, eventually succumbing in the final to Kimberley Birrell (QLD) 6-3 6-3.

Jessica Brzozowska (Brighton) finished fifth overall in the 14s girls’ Singles, her best Nationals performance to date.

Gabriela Ruffels (Hampton) had an outstanding tournament in the 12s singles, winning her first National Title after defeating Jeanette Lin (SA) 5-7 6-0 6-2 in the final. She spent the first five months of the year in the Future Stars program which has helped take her game to a new level.

The two girls then paired up to win the doubles title in a tense three-setter 6-2 4-6 10-2 over Selina Turuljia (SA) and Kyra Yap (QLD).

“Gabriela has come a long way in 12 months and winning her first National title will definitely boost her confidence and self belief,” said Rea.

“This is a deserved result that solidifies her position as one of the top 12 year olds in the country.

“Backing up and winning the doubles title capped off a stella tournament for Gabriela. Her aggressive game style is very exciting to watch as she utilises a variety of weapons including drive volleys and drop shots.”

Ted Williams, who finished fourth overall in the singles, paired with fellow Victorian and Player Support Program player Jeremy Taylor (Surrey Hills) in what proved to be a very successful partnership. The boys lost the doubles final in a tight super tie-break 6-1 1-6 6-10 against Stefan Norodom (SA) and Alexander Crnokrak (QLD).