Junior Wimbledon has proved a valuable experience for Jasmine Conway as she looks to continue her move into the women’s game.
Oxfordshire’s Conway, 17, has been playing senior level events in recent months but had never had a taste of a Grand Slam before this week.
And, despite entering the Girls’ Singles draw as a wildcard, she defied her ranking with three impressive wins to reach the last eight at the All England Club.
Her run ended in the quarter-final with a 2-6 6-2 6-1 defeat to 16th seed Linda Klimovičová and despite some disappointment, there are plenty of positives for her to take.
“I think this week has been a good experience for me. Even though I didn’t get the win today, it’s given me a lot of confidence on the grass,” she said.
“I think she was definitely playing better in the second and better in the third, but I definitely dropped my level, maybe down to a bit of fatigue. Also, the first game the second set she broke me and I think that was down to my level probably not hers, and from there I couldn’t get back in.
“The grass is so much tougher and you have to stay lower. We do get days off but we’re practising and I did have a tough match yesterday as well. It’s a test of your fitness.
“I think it’s given me a lot of confidence on the grass and I know I can play well on the grass now. I think I’ve served well this week – maybe I could’ve made more first serves today – but in general it’s been quite good and effective. It’s been really fun to play here and disappointed with the result today, but I can take a lot of positives from this.
“I feel like part of tennis is getting used to the bigger courts as well and have that experience for years to come. I can feel more relaxed on the bigger courts now.”
While many of her competitors will be targeting the junior US Open at the end of the summer, Conway’s focus will remain on the senior tour, with plenty of events in the UK to target.
She added: “I know there are lot of 25K events in the UK so I’ll be trying to play those and focus on getting my women’s ranking up.
“It’s easier when there are tournaments in the UK, you don’t have to travel and you can train in between.”
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