Wimbledon 2023 results: British teenager Henry Searle reaches final of boys' singles
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Wimbledon 2023: GB's Searle into boys' final - best shots
Wimbledon 2023 on the BBC |
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Venue: All England Club Dates: 3-16 July |
Coverage: Live across BBC TV, radio and online with extensive coverage on BBC iPlayer, Red Button, Connected TVs and mobile app. More coverage details here. |
Henry Searle will try to end a 61-year wait for a British boys' singles winner at Wimbledon after reaching the final.
The 17-year-old beat American Cooper Williams 7-6 (7-4) 6-3 on Saturday.
The last British boys' champion here was Stanley Matthews - son and namesake of the former Blackpool and England footballer - in 1962.
There will also be British interest in the girls' doubles final for the first time since 1994 after Hannah Klugman and Isabelle Lacy won their semi-final.
They comfortably beat American pair Tatum Evans and Alanis Hamilton 6-2 6-4 and will become the first Britons to feature in the final since Lizzie Jelfs won the title alongside South African partner Nannie de Villiers 29 years ago.
They will be seeking to become the first all-British pairing to win the girls' doubles title at Wimbledon.
Wimbledon 2023: GB's Klugman & Lacy into girls' doubles final
Unseeded Searle has not dropped a set this tournament and has knocked out three seeds, beginning his campaign by beating top seed Juan Carlos Prado Angelo of Bolivia then Brazilian eighth seed Joao Fonseca and fourth seed Williams.
He will face Russian fifth seed Yaroslav Demin in Sunday's final.
Most recently, Britons Jack Draper (2018) and Liam Broady (2011) have featured in the boys' final but both missed out on the trophy.
Crowds packed around court four on Saturday morning to watch one of Britain's future prospects in action and the teenager started well, holding his nerve to keep the match on serve before some big serving and smart net play sealed the opener after a tie-break.
One break of serve was enough for Searle to clinch the second set and victory with his third match point and he celebrated with family and friends from his tennis club, who have created a raucous atmosphere at all of his matches.
A jubilant Searle, who often trains with senior British players like Cameron Norrie and Dan Evans, hugged and high-fived with his friends as children asked him for photographs and signed tennis balls.
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