A star tennis player from Bargeddie is getting set for the biggest challenge of her career – contesting a new tournament at the prestigious US Open.
Ellie Robertson will be on court in the first junior wheelchair tennis tournament to take place at a grand slam after a string of summer wins to elevate her international ranking to number seven and earn a place among the sporting stars in New York.
The 17-year-old begins her campaign in the inaugural age-group tournament at Flushing Meadow today, taking on Yuma Takamuro of Japan.
Ellie is part of the LTA’s national age group programme and trains at Scotstoun tennis centre in Glasgow coached by Kevin Simpson, the former Paralympian.
Having been ranked 11th in her international age group just three months ago, she contested tournaments in Turkey, Hungary, Italy and the Netherlands as well as back home to move up four places and earn her place in the historic draw.
She said: “It’s really exciting and I’m very proud to have qualified after all the hard work over the summer. I’d had the thought in the back of my mind for some time that I could make it.”
Ellie, who turns 18 on Tuesday, added: “It’s a really big thing for me as it will be my last junior event, so I’m nervous and excited. I get to experience playing at a grand slam, [and] I’m also going to experience things like jet lag for the first time!”
Her recent international adventures to book her place at the US Open included finishing as runner-up at the Cruyff Foundation European junior camp, and taking top seed Maylee Phelps of the USA to three sets in the Netherlands
She said of that match: “I’ve beaten a few of the players that were in the top 10 of the junior rankings when I played them, but Maylee just managed to get the better of me; I think we brought the best out of each other.
“It was quite nerve-wracking going to play in Holland because I knew I had to win a certain number of matches to qualify for New York; and I think I coped with the pressure quite well, being in that match situation and knowing what I needed to do.”
Ellie had moved up to world number eight after the British open junior championship, then two tournaments in the Netherlands last month saw her move up a further place to ensure direct qualification for the eight-player girls’ singles field.
Coach Kevin Simpson added: “It means the world to me to see Ellie show her potential, and she’s worked hard for this. I still remember her coming to tennis as an 11- or 12-year-old and to see her now is incredible.
“It’ll be an experience she’s never going to forget and will stand her in good stead for the transition from junior to senior women’s competition.”
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