BASINGSTOKE'S teen-age tennis star Josh Goodall's Wimbledon hopes for 2003 were terminated this week, but he has vowed to return to the All England Club next year in the men's senior event - so watch out Tim Henman!

Playing his last Junior Wimbledon this year, the unseeded 17-year-old, ranked 38 in the world junior rankings, finished as the top British player as he made the last 16 for the second year running.

To achieve this he beat El Salvador's Jaime Cueller 7-6, 7-5 in a hard-fought match and then played brilliantly to knock out the number 14 seed, Hyun-Joon Suk from Korea, 6-1, 7-6.

This set up a game against number one seed Tomas Berdych, a player ranked 210 in the senior rankings, one behind Great Britain's number three Arvind Parmar.

The Hodson Developments- backed player put up a brave fight against the Czech Republic giant and can hold his head up high, even though he lost 6-2,6-3.

Goodall said: "This has been my best-ever Wimbledon and I'd love to be back here next year in the senior event.

"The experience I have gained here in the last two years will certainly help me."

In a rain-interrupted match on Wednesday, Goodall found the power of Berdych just too hot to handle as he sent down one booming serve after another.

Summing up the match, the player coached by Mike Raphael of Hampshire Centrecourt said: "They were some of the hardest serves I've ever faced and I just could not get any pressure on the return.

"I had one break-point - and he served an ace! I certainly would tip him to go all the way and win it."

On Tuesday evening, Goodall was the ace king himself, firing down a total of 17 on his way to victory over Suk, breaking the serve of a player ranked 24 places above him, twice in a 6-1 first set.

The Korean then played up to his world ranking and broke the Goodall serve to lead 5-3, but the Basingstoke player showed his fighting spirit as he saved four set-points before taking the next game.

From then on, Goodall never looked back and had the upper hand in the tie-break, eventually winning it 7-5.

On Monday, the local teenage star had been due to play at 11am, but the rain meant his game was switched from Court 4 to Court 10 and he finally got to play at 6pm - just as the evening air was filled with the cheers from Centre Court for British number one Tim Henman.

Goodall emulated Henman in a hard-fought match with Cueller, as both players held their serves to take the first set to a tie-break.

The Basingstoke player opened up a 3-0 lead, only to be pegged back to 3-3, but came back to earn two set points at 6-4.

His Central American opponent saved the first point, but Goodall's great return into the far-right corner wrapped-up the set.

The match carried on in the same vein, with Goodall prod-ucing some great returns to take the match 7-6, 7-5.

There are more big events to come this year for Goodall, and he will take part in the British Nationals and US Open, which are both in August.