Boat Club's Lazell caps fine year with the national under-16 title

Warwick Boat Club's Harry Lazell, 14, is celebrating after victory in the National 16-and-Under Championships at Nottingham.
Henry Lazell won the singles and doubles in Nottingham.Henry Lazell won the singles and doubles in Nottingham.
Henry Lazell won the singles and doubles in Nottingham.

Coming into the tournament as a wild card and a year younger than many of his rivals, he took out third seed Lui Maxted 6-3, 6-1 in the semi-finals before a blistering display against Barney Fitzpatrick in the final.

He and Fitzpatrick also combined to take the doubles crown unseeded, narrowly beating the second seeds Alex Solenenko and Arran Trainor in a thrilling semi-final 6-4, 7-6 and then thrashing Ben Nicol and William Trainor 6-3, 6-2 in the final.

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Lazell, who lives in Warwick, is on a tennis scholarship at Tim Henman’s former school Reeds School in Cobham, Surrey where he combines his academic studies with tennis training.

Last year he won the Road to Wimbledon doubles championship and has also represented Team GB in several international junior events.

In December he was invited on a three-week LTA trip to the US where he played in both the Orange Bowl and Eddie Herr tournaments, two of the world’s top junior events, reaching the quarter-finals in the latter.

When not away competing, Lazell still turns out for Warwick Boat Club, helping them win the Coventry and District Premiership League title for the first time in several years alongside the likes of Wimbledon giant-killer and coach Marcus Willis, tennis captain Paul Martin, head coach Gavin Henderson and tour player Richard Partridge.

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“We’re all thrilled for Harry,” said Martin, a former junior international himself.

“He’s an outstanding prospect and a dedicated, hard-working lad who thoroughly deserves his growing success.

“I’ve followed his career ever since he started playing at Warwick Boat Club, aged four and it’s great that he still enjoys turning out to play for the club when he gets the chance.

“He’s wonderfully quick and athletic, a big-hitter and a great doubles player which adds extra aggression and punch to his singles.

“We’re all rooting for him as he aims to make a career on the international circuit.”

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