REDDITCH Tennis Club ace Paulina Jurkowska produced a fine series of performances to be crowned Nottingham Junior Open 14 and under girls’ champion.
The grade 2 national event attracted some of the strongest British juniors and Jurkowska saw off Kate Mansfield from Surrey 6-3, 6-3 in the first round before beating Christie Halton from Lincolnshire in three sets to progress to the quarter-finals.
Jurkowska then enjoyed a 6-3, 6-4 win against Imogen Haddad from Middlesex in the quarter-finals before sealing her place in the final with a 6-3, 7-6 victory over Gabia Paskauskas.
Yorkshire’s Gabriella Lindley, currently ranked ninth in Britain, provided stern opposition in the final but, after going a set down, Jurkowska stayed calm and showed great mental toughness to come back and win the next two sets 6-4, 6-3 to take the title.
Jurkowska also reached the final of the doubles with Emily Pollard, knocking out the number one seeds on the way.
