BEIJING, March 26 (Xinhua) -- The Road to Wimbledon, the All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC)'s prestigious junior tournament for 14 & unders, commences its 2019 journey here on Tuesday in China, marking the fourth year the tournament has returned to the country.
The top eight players who qualify in Beijing will travel to Nanjing for the Masters tournament on May 13th. Winners from the Nanjing Masters will then proceed to represent China at the Road to Wimbledon Finals from 11-17 August on the All England Club's historic grass courts.
China's rising stars have demonstrated a proven track record of success at the Road to Wimbledon Finals. In 2017, Chinese junior player Huang Ziyi was crowned girls' singles champion at the Road to Wimbledon Finals. Last year, the dynamic duo of Mi Tianmi and Xi Ziyuan made it to the semifinals of the girls' doubles.
Grand Slam champion Li Na, who has been officially inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame recently, is in Beijing to cheer for Chinese junior players.
"The Road to Wimbledon has given Chinese junior tennis players a valuable platform to sharpen their tennis skills and interact with peers from around the world at an early stage of their tennis career. For those who have earned the opportunity to play in Wimbledon, they will experience firsthand the heritage, culture, and tradition of grass court tennis." Li said.
Tournament Director, former British Davis Cup player Jamie Baker called the Road to Wimbledon a great opportunity for young players.
"We are working with talented young international players to give them opportunities to develop their grass court tennis abilities in a competitive setting. This year, we are further elevating the grass court tennis experience for junior players in China and across Asia, providing them with access to world-class coaches and invaluable international experience," Baker said.
Richard Lewis, Chief Executive of The All England Lawn Tennis Club, said that the event highlights what makes grass court tennis unique.
"The Road to Wimbledon is all about providing opportunities to the potential tennis stars of tomorrow, and at its core, the tournament is a celebration of the truly unique and special experience that is grass court tennis. We want to ensure the future is green by sharing the joys of the grass court tennis game with young players across Asia...and we look forward to seeing a new generation of players breaking through Wimbledon's grass courts in the years to come."
