By RUSSELL BENNETT
NARRE Warren’s rising tennis ace Destanee Aiava has added another accomplishment to an already staggering list after again being selected in Australia’s Junior Fed Cup team, which will take part in an Oceania qualifying event in Shepparton next month.
A host of the nation’s best young tennis stars will head to the Shepparton and Tatura Lawn Tennis Clubs from 8 to 13 April for the qualifying event, which also includes the Junior Davis Cup team.
Aiava will be joined by fellow Victorian Jaimee Fourlis, and Seone Mendez from New South Wales. Both Aiava and Mendez represented Australia at the world finals last year, while Fourlis will make her first appearance at Junior Fed Cup level.
Australia has a proud history in both competitions, having won the Junior Davis Cup six times and the Junior Fed Cup five times since the international teams competition began in 1985.
Ahead of this year’s Shepparton event, both teams will take part in a training camp with former world number one and Tennis Australia performance director Pat Rafter, Davis Cup greats Tony Roche and John Newcombe, current Australian Davis Cup team captain Wally Masur, and former Australian women’s player Louise Pleming.
Aiava was named Female Junior Athlete of the Year at Australian Tennis’ night of nights, the Newcombe Medal, last year.
Following an extended training block in 2013, she started the last calendar year off with a bang – reaching the third round of the Australian Junior Open at Melbourne Park in her first attempt at her home Grand Slam event.
Still just 14-years-old, she followed that up with another third round appearance this year.
Destanee is coached by Andrea Stoltenberg – wife of former Australian world number 19 Jason, and herself a former WTA player.
When the News first spoke with Aiava way back in 2012, she explained that she pinned a list of goals on the fridge and ticked them off one-by-one as she accomplished them.
On that list with a bullet – “Become world number one”.
