On Tuesday 31st August, the cream of Devon and Cornwall’s most talented young tennis players between the ages of six and ten years old will serve it out to become Flybe Mini Masters’ champions during a series of final matches being held in Devon and Cornwall. The U8 year and U9 year categories will be competing at the South Devon Tennis Centre in Ivybridge with the U10 year category at the Dragon Leisure Centre in Bodmin.

Following the success of the launch event of the Mini Masters’ Winter series in April this year, the winners of each of the three age categories in the Summer series will take home a Flybe Mini Masters’ trophy, return tickets for their family to be used anywhere on the Flybe network and also win a Tennis Master Class with Lucy Ahl, Flybe ambassador and former British Number 1 Women’s player.

Simon Lilley, Flybe’s Director of Marketing will present the Ivybridge winners with their trophies along with, Debbie Hale, LTA Talent Performance Co-ordinator (Devon & Cornwall). Hilary Webster, Lead Volunteer, along with Georgina Loosemore, Tennis Development Manager(Devon and Cornwall)  will present the award winner in Bodmin.

Some 300 young local tennis stars from across Devon and Cornwall have taken part in this second Flybe Mini Masters’ series. The programme was initiated as a winter series in October 2009 to support the development and growth of young tennis players across the two counties and is sponsored by the airline in conjunction with the counties’ local Lawn Tennis Associations.

Mr Lilley says: “We are delighted to have this opportunity to play a key role in giving the region’s budding tennis players the opportunity to further their dreams in becoming a future Wimbledon tennis star.  Both the winter and summer Mini Masters’ series have given talented young sportspeople from throughout Devon and Cornwall the opportunity to experience competitive tennis.

 

“To have helped give junior tennis a higher profile has been a privilege and the popularity of our Mini Masters’ series has resulted in a heartening growth in volume and quality of young players taking up the game.”

 

The competition has been open to all young tennis players up to the age of 10 years old and heats have been held across 14 regional tennis centres and clubs with the top eight players from each county and age group now set to battle it out on Tuesday’s Mini Masters’ finals.

Adds Ms Hale: “It is great to see so many young mini tennis competitors in action over the summer and really encouraging to see so many new faces on this season’s leaderboard.

“The continued work of Flybe with Devon/Cornwall LTA has been key to create more opportunities at grass roots for all players, beginner or advanced. The standard of the finals will be high and we could see the future of British Tennis emerging from our counties due to the competitive opportunities we have provided. Good luck to all competitors.”

The Flybe Mini Masters’ Finals take place on Tuesday 31st August at South Devon Tennis Centre in Ivybridge at 1400 with the top eight from each county on the Red circuit – age 8 & Under, followed at 0930 by those topping the Orange circuit (age 9 and under). The Greens (10 and under) will be battling it out at on the same day at from 1000 at the Dragon Leisure Centre in Bodmin.