Wollongong & Northern Leader – May 19, 2010 – Section: Sport – by HEATHER SMITH hsmith@northernleader.com.au
“EDWIN Barclay has been coaching tennis for 56 years and he reckons 14-year-old Blake Mott is the best he’s seen “by a country mile”.
“I think he’s top 10 and whether he’s one to four depends on who’s around at the time,” Barclay said of the Thirroul teen’s prospects.
“He’s got a fantastic eye and uncanny anticipation. His basic game is completely under control, he can hit every shot and he can take the ball early.
“He’s gifted and he can play on any surface.”
Mott has just returned from China where he and his team mates won the Asia Oceania qualifier for the World Junior Tennis Competition.
Australia defeated China 2-1 at the competition and Mott had two relatively easy victories, winning his matches 6-3, 6-3 and 6-4, 6-4.
The team progresses to the World Final, which will be held in the Czech Republic in August.
Mott leaves for Europe in a few weeks where he will compete in three major tournaments in France, Belgium and Holland.
“The next two years are going to be a lot of fun,” Barclay said. “He’s now the best 14 and under boy in the whole of South-East Asia.”
The coach said Tennis Australia and Tennis NSW had got behind Mott and were supporting financially, physically and emotionally.
“He’s really been looked after,” Barclay said.
Mott trains for about six hours a day, with 4.5 hours on the court and 1.5 hours doing strength and endurance as well as stretching.
“He plays regularly with top talent, including Sandon Stolle, Wally Masur, Jason Stoltenberg and had the privilege of going on court with Lleyton Hewitt and Pat Rafter at this years Australian Open in January” his coach Edwin Barclay said.
