In one very busy week, hard training, focus and commitment paid off for Lleyton Richards. He has won this year’s 12 Years Champion NSW Tennis Country Perpetual Trophy as well as the top spot representing the Northumberland Region in the Under 13s NSW State Medibank Final in October.
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The NSW Junior Country Championships were held in Forster-Tuncurry across six busy days of competition from June 28 to July 3. Lleyton played a total of 14 matches across the competition, sometimes hitting the court four times a day to compete in ranked singles, odd-age singles, doubles and mixed doubles.
“Lleyton trained very hard for six months in an effort to be the number one 12 year old in Country NSW. His commitment paid off, he didn't give up but fought for his dream to have his name on that trophy,” proud mother Lisa Richards said.
Two days before the 12s ranked final Lleyton played Luke Miners in a non-ranking 13 year old match winning the match 6-1,6-4. Two days later Gloucester’s cheering squad added to the hype and under the watchful gaze of Prime’s Seven News Lleyton climbed his way to victory against the same opponent despite the weight of expectation thrown his way. This time the match lasted 2 hours and 40 minutes, ending in a nail biting three set match during which Llleyton fought his way to the Cup to beat Luke Miners 6-7, 7-6, 6-4.
In other events Lleyton made it through to the semi finals for the 13 years and was a finalist in the 12 years mixed doubles with partner Jaide Smith.
Lleyton barely had time to catch his breath before heading to Brisbane two days later for the Queensland Junior Platinum Tournament. Three tough qualifying matches saw Lleyton go down to New Zealand’s Max Dickey in the second set tie-break. Lleyton and doubles partner Ben Butler later made it through to the third round of the Platinum. Lleyton will now head to the NSW Lead-In and Age Championships Platinum in Sydney in September. His current ranking is 1037 but once points are allocated from July he will advance to be within the top 1000 men in Australia this week. This will hopefully be enough to place him in the main draw for Sydney.
Thanking the group of supporters, health workers and sporting coaches who have helped him on his journey so far, Lleyton looked forward to a positive future.
"This is only the beginning,” he said.