Young Gunnedah tennis player Mia Wilkinson has just scored the biggest win of her developing career in a junior grasscourt event in Victoria.
A few days after her 15th birthday on January 21, Mia won the 14-16 years singles at the Victorian junior grasscourt titles in Wodonga and, for good measure, also took out the doubles with her Victorian partner Olivia Corso.
Mia qualified for the play-offs after two weeks of feed-in play on grass at Shepparton, Albury and Wodonga.
“I’ve hardly played on grass but it’s a good surface for me, I think, I really felt comfortable on it,” she said.
“But the surface doesn’t really matter, I just love playing tennis.”
Mia doesn’t have a tennis background, as her parents, Glen and Louise, have never been regular players. But her brother Cooper, who turns 18 on May 31, is an outstanding prospect and late last year won the Gunnedah singles championship, downing titleholder Aaron Osmond in the final.
Mis started going to tennis as a four-year-old.
“I used to tag along with Cooper when he started going to lessons and a few years later I started too.
“We don’t have a court at home but we’re only 10 minutes out of town, so Mum is able to run us down to the courts whenever we feel like having a hit.
“I play at least four times a week, including two sessions with my coach (Trish O’Gorman) for an hour or two at a time and I try to play as much tournament tennis as I can. My first coach, Dale Martin, also has a squad he takes away and we have a great time.”
Trish O’Gorman is very happy with Mia’s progress, particularly in the last year.
“She has a very good attitude, she’s keen and wants to do well. That’s very important.”
Cooper returns to the tournament trail this week to compete in the 18 and under singles at the Canberra Junior ITF (International Tennis Federation) event.
