Tennis: Radford back to best after an injury scare

The 13-year-old crowned an outstanding comeback to lift the prestigious international Winchester Slazenger Appletiser under-14s tennis tournament on Saturday.

Earlier in the year Radford, the county under-14 champion, was forced into a break from tennis after suffering a knee injury and then growing muscle and bone pains.

But the Fair Oak schoolgirl showed all of her fighting qualities to come from a set down to beat Surrey Philippa Coates 1-6, 6-4 and 6-2 in the final.

Radford, who is coached by former British number one Chris Wilkinson at David Lloyd Leisure in Southampton, also beat two top German players on the way to the final.

Mum Loraine said: "She was delighted to win. It was a strong tournament with many very good players and she did very well."

The Winchester tournament attracts the second biggest international entry of any tennis event in Britain after Wimbledon.

Last week more than 700 players came to Winchester for world ranking points from as far a field as Hong Kong and the United States.

Radford, who was involved in a demonstration on the Number One court at Wimbledon last year, is rated in top 12 in the country for her age and is now gearing up for the national under-15 championships.

She has already enjoyed a successful year, finishing third in a national clay court event.

Another Hampshire player excelling at Winchester last week was King Edward VI School pupil William Barrett.

Seeded second, he dominated the under-12 event, dropping just seven games throughout the competition.

In the final 12-year-old Barrett crushed Suffolk's Stewart Bruce 6-2, 6-2.

Later in the summer Barrett, who is coached at Winchester tennis and squash club by Tim Robson, will be aiming for a hat-trick of county under-12 championships.

Barrett started playing tennis at the age of just four with his brother and immediately showed vast natural talent.

He now practices five times a week and is also preparing for the forthcoming national championships at Bournemouth, as well as tournaments at Guildford and Torquay.

Also excelling at Winchester was another Chris Wilkinson-coached youngster. Southampton's Peter Francis performed well to make it through to the latter stages of a very competitive under-14 boys event.

University of North Florida student Elliott Wood returned to his home club at Winchester and made it through to the men's singles semi-final in a tournament that was eventually won by Bournemouth's David Sanger.

Wood went one better in the men's doubles as he and Alex Ross made it to the final, only to be beaten by Sanger and Craig Longland 7-6, 6-2.

Winchester Slazenger Appletiser Tennis Tournament results.

Men's singles: David Sanger (Dorset) bt Paul Hand (Berks) 6-2, 4-6, 7-6 (4). Ladies singles: Victoria Jones bt Linsay Cox 4-6, 6-3, 7-5.

Boys under-18: Richard Irwin (Dorset) bt Tim Patient (Surrey) 5-7, 6-4, 6-0.

Girls under-18: Nicola Allan (Scotland) bt Claire Ricketts (Herts) 2-6, 6-3, 6-2. Boys under-16: Andrew Kennaugh (Surrey) bt Richard Stera (Middlesex) 6-4, 4-6, 6-4.

Girls under-16: Nicola Allan bt Anja Vanessa Peter (German) 6-0, 6-2.

Boys under-14: Josh Pettitt (Kent) bt Dominic Stones (Devon) 6-0, 6-4.

Girls under-14: Lisa Radford bt Philippa Coates (Surrey) 1-6, 6-4, 6-2.

Boys under-12: William Barrett (Hampshire) bt Stewart Bruce (Suffolk) 6-2, 6-1.

Girls under-12: Emma Smith (Dorset) bt Hannah Morrill (Middlesex) 6-3, 6-0. Men's doubles: Craig Longland and David Sanger bt Alex Ross and Elliott Wood (Hampshire) 7-6 (2), 6-2.

Girls under-18 doubles: Natash Khan (Sussex) and Kirsty Woolley (Sussex) bt Holly Bagshaw and Melissa Gibb 6-2, 6-2.

Boys under-18 doubles: Nick Cavaday (Kent) and Dominic Inglot (Middlesex) bt Chris Parkes (Lancs) and Purav Raja (Somerset) 7-5, 7-5.

Girls under-16 doubles: Georgie Stoop (Cambridge) and Jessica Weeks (Kent) bt Holly Richards and Lucy Scott (Kent) 6-1, 4-6, 6-0.

Boys under-16 doubles: Chris Hooshyar and Jonathon Parkes bt Bobby Brooke and Tom Loughton 6-4, 4-6, 7-6 (11).