TENNIS: Naylor lands national crown (From Herald Series)

TENNIS: Naylor lands national crown

12:24pm Wednesday 10th September 2008 in Tennis

Oxfordshire's Charlie Naylor captured the ten and under boys' singles crown at the British Junior National Championships at the West Hants Club, Bournemouth.

The ten-year-old, from Drayton, near Abingdon, claimed the title with a 4-1, 5-4 (7-4) win over Nottinghamshire's Marcus Walters in the final.

In the semi-finals, he battled past No 4 seed Charles Broom (Herts).

With the two lads winning a set apiece, the winner was the first to then notch ten points and Naylor came out on top 10-3.

In the second round, he came back from the brink of defeat in a fluctuating encounter against Middlesex's Omari Owens-Maxwell.

The Drayton youngster won the first set and then had four match points at 6-2 as the second set went to a tie-break, only to lose it 8-6.

He then found himself 9-5 down in the first-to-ten points decider before rallying to triumph 14-12, with two clear points needed for victory.

Naylor, who trains at Abingdon's White Horse Leisure & Tennis Centre, had opened his campaign by beating No 1 seed Jay Clarke 4-0, 4-2.