Exeter’s tennis venues have been huge for me, says East Devon tennis ace

By Rob Jennings-May

Young tennis star Jake Harrison has spoken of the city’s recent surge in courts and facilities playing a massive part in the early stages of his career.

The 17 year old – who reached the last eight of last year’s Senior National Student Finals – remarks upon the benefits to both College and University students, as well as the general public in the county’s capital:

“It is huge, I play with people all the way from Ilfracombe, Seaton, and myself from Sidmouth. That’s a large radius and mileage – so having such good courts and academies in Exeter is great to train together as a middle ground.”

Harrison commented on the £1.4million Exwick Sports Hub, which was opened by the Lord Mayor Percy Prowse in October 2014 – “They’ve got some nice outdoor courts and excellent equipment down in Exwick, as well as up at the University. And for Exeter College – setting up an academy where we can play seven hours a week was vital. If we didn’t have that practice, we wouldn’t reach where we have done.”

Making it to a final handful of players nationally in the AEGON tournament up in Bolton was an great experience for Jake: “It was massive, it really puts everything to worth. To people who say – you’re not going to make it, it’s stupid and it won’t happen. Then going to Nationals, and being there in the top ten and better, it makes me realise their limitations, not mine. They’re telling me I can’t do it, because they can’t do it. I’d rather show them, prove myself, and there could be a career in this for me.”

The 6ft 5in left-hander once received a letter of recommendation signed by Nick Bollettieri, and extends his ambitions to the remainder of 2015 and 2016: “Bournemouth have offered a scholarship to their University if I continue the way I do. I was talking to someone who does scholarships to America, and she said – yes you’re good enough to get in. They don’t however provide student loans over there and I’d have to pay £16,000 upfront, which made my mind up to stick with the UK.”

“I’m going for a gap year first with the aim of getting my rating down to a 3.1”, concludes Jake. “It’s important at this age to not be distracted from your goals. There’s no point being common, you’ve got to find your dream, focus on it and be the best you can be. I can make the dream become reality.”