A collection of the state’s top juniors will be making the trip to the Bathurst Tennis Centre over the three-day competition in their quest for national ranking points.

Also getting among the contest is a 10-strong group of Bathurst club contenders.

Tayla and Chloe Braiser, Dominique Mitton, Megan Neville, Sean Farraway, Josh and Esther Wong, Caitlin and Hayley Speirs and Brianna Morgan will be the players representing their home club.

Bathurst Tennis Centre’s Andrew Mitton said the local crew contains a mix of new and experienced juniors, but all will be looking forward to the challenge.

“Sean Farraway hasn’t played too many of these. Megan Neville is another who is new to it. She normally does the Junior Development Series. For Esther Wong it’s her first time playing in the 12 years,” he said.

“It’s a silver level, very high. The top end, in the 12s and 14s especially, out of the top 20 in the state we’d likely have 15 of them here.

“It’s an extremely strong competition so I don’t want to put too many new, raw players into it too early.”

The competition contains singles and doubles competitions across the 12s, 14s and 16s age groups.

Numbers have been excellent across the under 12s, with the boys and girls singles competitions each containing 64 entrants, with the same number also will be involved in the boys 14s singles.

Mitton said the tournament’s position on the calendar has benefited numbers.

“There’s 260-plus players. That’s really good numbers, higher than last year. We’ve had entrants from right across Queensland, the ACT, Victoria and NSW,” he said.

“This is the JT since school has started back. They’ve made a change to the calendar this year and I think that’s why our numbers are so big because they’re all keen to get in there and play a national tournament.”

Bathurst hosts three junior tournaments throughout the year – one each of a gold, silver and bronze standard.

This silver tournament has still encouraged the best of the best to take trip out to the Central West.

“Cooper Wilkinson is the number one seed in the boys. He’s another country boy from up north, and a standout in the under 12s. He would have to be number one or two in the state for his age and very highly ranked in Australia,” Mitton said.

“Canberra have Charlie Camus, another strong player, as well as Pavle Marinkov from Sydney. They’re some of the strongest kids going around.

“[Eglinton Tennis Club’s] Grace Schumacher is going along really well too. She’s ranked number one in the 16s girls. There’s definitely going to be some good tennis.”

Dominique Mitton and Schumacher are set to make a formidable number one seeded pairing in the 16s girls doubles.

Finals action will take place over Sunday afternoon and Monday morning.