TOTALLY Tennis performance player Tanya Hasking has jetted off to the USA after securing a tennis scholarship at the University of North Texas in San Antonio.
Hasking, who was 18 at the beginning of August, has played at Totally Tennis since she was seven.
After an impressive tennis career in the UK, she is following in the footsteps of former team-mates Sarah Flood, Simon Taylor and Adam Flintoff, who are already successfully part-way through tennis scholarships in the USA.
After predications of As and Bs in her A-levels, Hasking will continue her education in Texas, benefiting from a 100 per cent scholarship that includes all her tuition fees, accommodation, food and all her tennis coaching as well as clothing and stringing.
Depending on her success, there is a chance that she could gain a national ranking while representing her university, both individually and as a team member.
Hasking started her tennis career playing in the Totally Tennis holiday activity days and, from there, she progressed to play in squads.
She has been coached individually by head coach Shane Deacon for the last 10 years.
Hasking has played in many local, regional and national tournaments, winning the county title in 2002 and has been a member of the successful county cup team on many occasions.
She got her first taste of the American way of life when she travelled in a group accompanied by Deacon in 2002 and again in 2003.
Hasking said of the opportunity: "I am so excited about the move to America and San Antonio was by far my favourite place to go.
"My parents and everyone at Totally Tennis have been so supportive and helped me develop my tennis over the last 10 years, which has enabled me to follow my dream.
"I would like to thank Shane for his dedication over the last 10 years and for organising the trips to the US so we could all experience, first-hand, what life would be like away from home and at university in a different country."
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