Lara Palmer nominated for Junior Sports Star Award

Talented Palmer dreams of turning pro

• General

13 May 11 @ 05:46am by BRIAN KARLOVSKY

Up-and-coming tennis star Lara Palmer has been nominated for the Fairfield Advance’s Junior Sports Star Award. 

TENNIS ace Lara Palmer will court world junior rankings points at the New Caledonia International Tennis Federation event next month after winning the Foster Junior Open. 

Palmer, 16, of Edensor Park, who was the top seed going into the Foster event, took out the doubles and singles titles in an impressive display after an injury setback in 2010 saw her slip out of the top 25 in the Australian junior rankings. 

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The Freeman Catholic College student, who trains at Brenan Park Tennis Centre, said she was pleased all her training had paid off. 

“I felt a bit of pressure being the number one seed,” she said. “But I was pretty happy with the result.” 

Palmer is this week’s Fairfield Advance Junior Sports Star, which is sponsored by Rebel Sport. 

Coach Joe Porley said his quiet and determined pupil had the potential to play on the professional tour. 

“She has the potential, if she is able to put in the work, to play on the pro tour,” he said. “The trouble now is managing her studies with the amount of work she needs to put in to compete with girls who are in home schooling.” 

Palmer, who trains six days a week, said she hoped to one day play on the professional tour. “I would like to be professional, but at the moment I am going to concentrate on doing well at the New Caledonia ITF tournament,” she said. 

* To nominate go to juniorsportsstar.com.au or fill on the coupon on Page 78. 

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