Queenslanders Taiki Takizawa, Lucas Han and Tori Russell will battle against some of the world’s best 14-and-under players at Wimbledon.
London, Great Britain, 11 July 2024 | Rhys de Deugd
Three Australian rising stars are set to compete at the prestigious All England Club for the first time in the Wimbledon 14-and-under tournament.
First introduced to Wimbledon in 2022, junior players from around the world are invited to take part in the special singles-only round-robin tournament at SW19.
It is a dream opportunity for Lucas Han, Taiki Takizawa and Tori Russell – some of Australia’s most promising young talents.
“It means a lot. Obviously it’s a big privilege and I’m going to take the most out of it and take my opportunity there,” Han said.
“Since I was young, Wimbledon was my favourite Grand Slam to watch and now I can’t even dream of myself playing in the event, it’s such a pleasure and a privilege to take a part in this big event.”
The 14-year-old from Queensland admits that although his game style does not traditionally suit the surface, he still “likes the grass” and his results on it so far have proven so.
Han was the winner of the 14/u singles title at the Australian Junior Grasscourt Championships in January, which put him on the radar for the event at Wimbledon.
Taiki Takizawa, a big-serving left hander from the Gold Coast, is joining Han in the boys’ draw.
Han and Takizawa represented Australia together earlier this year at the ITF World Junior Tennis Asia/Oceania Qualifying event in Malaysia.
> VIEW: Wimbledon 14/u boys’ singles draw
In the girls’ draw, fellow Queensland talent Tori Russell is excited to play where her idol Ash Barty lifted the Wimbledon trophy in 2021.
“I was watching the final when she won. I felt like, what a moment, and I’m proud to be Australian,” Russell said.
“It’ll be a great experience and opportunity. I’m really grateful that I can go over to London and play at this event.”
> VIEW: Wimbledon 14/u girls’ singles draw
Both the boys’ and girls’ draws are made up of 16 players split into four groups, guaranteeing at least three matches for each player.
The top-performing player in each group at the end of the round-robin stage progresses to the knockout semifinals and then final. Consolation matches also played for those who do not reach the semifinals.
The event begins on Thursday July 11, with the final to be played on July 14.
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