Search

show me:

Aussie junior eyeing Wimbledon wildcard

3 minute read

Australian two-time grand slam junior champion Luke Saville is hoping to receive a wildcard into Wimbledon.

Australian teenage tennis ace Luke Saville is angling for a Wimbledon wildcard as he eyes a third grand slam junior crown at the French Open.

Already in rare company alongside Bernard Tomic and Pat Cash as a dual junior major winner, 18-year-old Saville has charged through to the third round of the boys' singles event in Paris.

The top seed outclassed Brit Luke Bambridge 6-0 6-4 on Monday and next plays Italian Matteo Donati for a place in the quarter-finals.

"It's always nice to get your teeth into a tournament," said Saville, the world's top-ranked junior.

"I always set the standard very high for me. I won the last grand slam and this is obviously a very different tournament for me - Europeans and South Americans play a lot on clay, Australians not so much.

"But I'm going into every match to win. If it doesn't happen, then so be it. But I'm confident with how I'm going."

Regardless how he fares at Roland Garros, Saville is hoping he has done enough since winning the Wimbledon junior title last year - and then the Australian Open juniors in January - for the All England Club to give him a shot at the big boys next month.

"I haven't heard anything yet. Obviously I'm hoping that I can get a run in the men's. If I don't, I'll play the juniors again," he said.

"But I've won two slams now and I've got my ranking to around 590 now, so I think I've made a lot of good steps.

"So if I get granted a wildcard into the qualifying, or the main draw, I'll obviously take it with both hands."

What are you really gambling with?

For free and confidential support call 1800 858 858 or visit www.gamblinghelponline.org.au