Taylor nets second major title

Tennis ace Lucas Taylor has netted a second major title of the year after triumphing at the Ageon National Under-12s Clay Court Championships

By PHIL RAVITZ

Tennis ace Lucas Taylor has netted a second major title of the year after

triumphing at the Ageon National Under-12s Clay Court Championships.

Taylor, who lives in Barnet Grove, Tower Hamlets, was dubbed the East End's answer to Tim Henman after receiving his first Great Britain international call-up last year.

The Hackney City Tennis Club youngster lived up to that billing by winning the Winter Grand Prix Masters in January and climbing to the top of the national rankings.

Now Taylor has continued his stunning progress and added a second major crown by winning the UK clay-court title at Brookmans Park, Hertfordshire.

Top-seed Taylor cruised through the early stages of the tournament, which featured 50 of the top-ranked players at Under-12 level from across the country.

But he endured a tough quarter-final clash against Yorkshire's Jonathan Gray - who Taylor had beaten in the final of the Winter Grand Prix Masters - after surviving a first-set tie break before securing a 7-6 6-1 triumph.

British No4 Bjorn Thomson, from Warwickshire, was Taylor's semi-final opponent, but the East London star breezed through in straight sets 6-3 6-1 to set up a final meeting with Scotland's Ross Tiree Wilson.

Third-seed Tiree Wilson, who trains in France, had never previously lost to an Under-12 player and a tight final contest was expected.

But Taylor recorded a crushing 6-2 6-1 victory in 58 minutes to secure the title without dropping a set.