ACE tennis prospect Kira Reuter capped a magnificent summer, during which she represented her club, county and country, and was the runner-up in the Girls 10 and Under National Championships, by being named Heminford Tennis Club’s junior of the year.

The club’s secretary, Merril Windle, said: “Our Junior trophy and a bursary have been awarded to Kira to acknowledge the hard work and dedication she has shown to achieve her many successes this year.

“Kira follows a long line of successful players to come out of Hemingford, we congratulate her and wish her much success in the future.”

The award carried matching bursaries from Hemingford Tennis Club and from the Sports Academy.

Reuter’s performance at last month’s Junior National Championships underlined her potential. The tournament was played over two days on the red clay courts of the Lawn Tennis Association’s National Tennis Centre in Roehampton.

The top 16 girls in the 10 and Under age group earned the right to play based on points accumulated from the five National Tour events. Reuter’s place was secure after she won the final event of the series, the Bournemouth Open, in July.

The Championships themselves took place in August and Reuter’s attacking style of play – and speed around the court – allowed her to progress through the early rounds with the loss of just two games.

On day two Reuter came up against a very tough opponent, Francesca Booth from Northumberland, and she was forced to raise her game with combinations of drop shorts and volleys mixed in with her usual power play.

It was in this match that Reuter played some of her best tennis of the summer and held her form nerve to clinch a 4-2 5-3 win.

The final against Destinee Martins from Middlesex was a tense but error prone affair which went to three sets. Martins took the first 5-3 but in the second Reuter’s improved and won 4-1 to take the match into the ‘match tie break’, which is one game of first to 10 points.

Martins eventually ran out the winner 5-3, 1-4, 1-0 (10-7).

Reuter said: “I was hugely disappointed not to have won, especially after coming back so strongly in the second set. But I was pleased to have made the final and glad that I played so well in the semi final.”

Reuter will now move up into the 12 & Under age-group.