Solid summer boosts Phillips’ rise up tennis charts

Phillips is ranked nine on the British Tour leaderboard, which shows how well she has performed during the year in this competition circuit against senior players.

Phillips is ranked No1 in Sussex and 45 nationally for women – a great achievement for the 17-year-old as she is still competing up an age group.

She travelled to Ilkley and faced Chinese Taipei’s Joanna Garland in the main draw. Phillips struggled to keep the ball in the court and was trailing 5-2 in the first set.

A change of tactics turned it around and Phillips kept her nerve to win 7-5, 6-1. Phillips said: “I enjoy trying to find a way to win, especially when I am trailing. I am able to use this to my advantage when I am in a losing position although obviously my aim is to get ahead and stay ahead.”

Phillips had some fantastic results at Sutton and secured a solid 6-1 win in the first set against 3.2-rated Florence Abbott, who retired in the second set to give Phillips the match.

Phillips also played 18-year-old Yasmina El Sayed from Leicestershire. The 3.2-rated player put up a fight and Phillips did well to clinch the match 1-6, 6-4, 10-6.

The highlight of the summer was playing at the Aegon British Tour event at West Worthing.

In the main draw, Phillips was in her element playing on the grass court and beat Wiltshire’s Chloe Moxham 6-0, 6-3. In the next round Phillips played Antonia Smallbone. Both players played well but Smallbone won 7-5, 6-3.

Phillips gained 13 qualifying wins and suffered only two qualifying losses during the season so easily met the LTA’s requirement of six qualifying wins and a 60 per cent win ratio in order to jump up to a 3.1 rating.

Phillips said: “To have secured so many wins this season shows I am ready to play at 3.1 level. This is something I have worked incredibly hard for and I am really happy to have reached it.”