Shropshire teen tennis ace meets Tim Henman

Helen took part in the HSBC Road to Wimbledon National 14 and Under Challenge Finals.

The 14-year-old, a pupil at The Marches School in Oswestry, booked herself a spot at SW19 after competing in her county finals and won two group matches before being knocked out in the first round of the girls main draw.

Some 20,000 promising young tennis players from all over Britain competed in pursuit of a prestigious place at Wimbledon with Roberts among the top 144 boys and girls to have earned the right to play at the national finals.

Roberts admitted her outing was certainly the highlight of her summer, adding: "It was a fantastic experience and it is really cool to say you have played on the same courts as the greats have played on.

"The whole tournament was very well organised and they made it so easy for the players – I would love to return one day to win Wimbledon as it is the home of tennis."

Roberts, who attends Oswestry Team Tennis, even got the chance to meet HSBC tournament ambassador Henman during her time at Wimbledon.

He spent time with the players, signed autographs, and posed for photos with the finalists and insisted he was impressed with the standard on show this year at SW19.

"I've been involved for the 12 years of the programme, and it's fantastic to see how the standard has improved," said four-times Wimbledon semi-finalist Henman.

"You talk about the mental side of things, and it's that application, going out there and giving 100 per cent is all you can do – those types of values will get you a long way in life."

n The HSBC Road to Wimbledon National 14 & Under Challenge is the UK's largest national junior grass court tournament and forms part of HSBC's investment in the stars of the future – www.hsbcroadtowimbledon.com