Young Brit tipped to follow in Emma Raducanu's footsteps as Liverpool International Tennis Tournament set for milestone

Twenty years on from the first Liverpool International Tennis Tournament, organiser Anders Borg is pleased to the see city has become a hotspot for developing future stars of the sport.

Back in 2002, Liverpool hosted its maiden International Tennis Federation (ITF) tournament as a warm-up event for stars ahead of Wimbledon.

Since then, Borg, along with his sport event management company, Northern Vision, have worked with local communities, organisations, & charities, to develop Liverpool’s tennis calendar into one of the busiest, particularly for up-and-coming athletes.

2015’s Junior International saw a 13-year-old Emma Raducanu make her ITF debut and become the youngest ever winner of an under-18 event, and this year Liverpool has become the city host the most Junior International events in UK.

The first of five tournaments took place last month, with Borg describing it as a huge success due to its scale.

“It was a fantastic event,” he said. “We had participants from more than 40 different countries – it just proves how Liverpool is such a popular destination for tennis players and the tennis audience.

“It’s a city that people want to visit and the fact that we now have four weeks of international junior tournaments each year makes us an even bigger destination for players. That’s something we are really proud of.

“It’s also a fantastic opportunity for the next generation of players from Liverpool, who through our wildcard system can compete in these events even if they haven’t built up any national ranking points.”

One player in particular caught Borg’s attention during February’s Junior International – men’s singles winner Benjamin Gusic Wan – with the young Brit earning high praise for his victory.

“Gusic Wan