The Bathurst Tennis Centre and the Eglinton Tennis Academy have both contributed to the cause, with Harry Brown (10 years boys), Gabriella Mitton plus Caitlyn Foley (12 years girls), Riley Swift (12 years boys) and Georgia Davis (14 years girls) all making it through to the development series finals.

Mitton, Foley and Swift all represent the Bathurst Tennis Centre while Brown and Davis both play out of Eglinton.

Selection for the event is based on achieving a top eight finish within the region, which in turn earns the players a spot in the champion of champions tournament.

The top three in that tournament all get through to the state finals.

The Gosford event gets underway tomorrow with the deciding matches to be played on Monday and all competitors bar the 10 years players have the chance to accumulate national ranking points, adding to the prestige of the event.

Already though all five of them find themselves up against it somewhat –even Mitton who made the semi-finals in the same event 12 months ago.

“I’ve had a look at the draws and they really haven’t been very kind,” Bathurst Tennis Centre manager Andrew Mitton said.

“All of the kids are drawn to line up against a seeded play in either the first or second round. Last year Gabby made the semi-finals in the 10s but even she’s probably a year out of her league, having gone up an age group.”

Andrew Mitton said that Swift and Gabriella Mitton had the best prospects of progressing through to the later rounds, but that regardless of how far any of the five go, it is a more than worthwhile experience.

“Just the experience they can gain from playing these other kids who play and train almost full-time is great,” Mitton said.

“Without a doubt they generally improve after taking part in this sort of event, it just means that they know they can compete at this level.”