Liam enjoys success with personal coach

LIAM Storey returned home in February after spending six gruelling months on a tennis scholarship squad at Sutton Junior Tennis Centre in Surrey.

Liam was considering giving up playing as he was not enjoying the game anymore having reached an all time low. But he knew Matt Trudgeon had returned home earlier in the year to work at the Devonshire Health and Racquet Club as a tennis coach, so he asked if he could start training with him once a week. Both went to the 18 and Under County Cup Tournament in Taunton between the 1st and 3rd of March, Matt was coaching Cornwall and Liam was a player.

Liam had two great wins beating the number one from Dorset Peter Shaw (2.1) 7-6(4), 6-2 and the number one from the West of Scotland (2.2) 6-2, 6-1. Matt supported Liam through both of these victories and together started training every other day after County Cup at the Devonshire. Liam's standard was rising all the time and the following week he reached the final of the Cornwall County Indoor Championships in the men's singles beating Tim Webster (2.3) in the semi-final 3-6, 7-6(5), 6-3 and also reached the men's doubles final.

In the Easter holidays, Liam played the Girobank Tour Event at Cardiff, winning two rounds in the qualifying event on April 8th, beating James Stewart (2.3) 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 who represents Loughborough Universities 1st team. The week after he played another Girobank Tour event at Bournemouth winning another two rounds in qualification against a player who represents Cardiff Universities 1st team, beating him 6-4, 6-2 and then went on to beat the number two from Dorset for 18 and under Matt Sanger (2.2) 6-2, 6-2. Trudgeon kept training Liam harder in the gym to increase the strength and power of Liam's attacking game.

After this continued success, Matt decided to take Liam on as his student and to work with Liam on a full time basis as his personal coach. He travelled with Liam to Tallinn, Estonia where Liam played a Junior International Tennis Federation Tournament between May 25th and June 1st. He won the first round of qualifying against the number four in Estonia for 16 and under 6-4, 6-2 and then lost to the number three in Sweden for juniors in the last round of qualifying. It was an eye opener into full-time tennis to experience training five hours each day and playing practise matches against players from all over Europe and North America.

In early June Liam was combining training weeks with Matt at Sutton Tennis and Squash Club with Liam's final exams in A/S Biology. Once the academic studies were completed on Liam could truly focus 100% on tennis. in preparation for the three Junior I.T.F. Tournaments in London at Thames Ditton, Roehampton and Junior Wimbledon. The standard was very strong at Thames Ditton and Storey lost to Paul Hutchin's son Blake (2.1) in the first round but he was gaining more higher quality match play experience every day.

Next week Liam is signing in for Roehampton and then the week after for Junior Wimbledon singles and doubles. He has a hectic summer tournament schedule; between July 7th - 15th Liam is playing the Malta I.T.F. Junior World Ranking Tournament, then another Junior I.T.F. Tournament in Winchester (July 16th - 21). He then represents Cornwall in the Winchester in the Men's Summer County Week Championships at Felixstowe (July 23rd - 27). Between July 28th and August 4th Liam has entered the Bournemouth Open Championships, then plays the Girobank Tour event in Tunbridge Wells (August 4-11). He then prepares for the 18 and under British singles and doubles Championship in Nottingham (August 15-24) and returns home to play the Cornwall County Junior Closed Event in St Austell between August 25-31st.

Liam has the next weekend off and starts full time tennis training with Matt on September 3rd.