RISING Bournemouth star Eliz Maloney has been crowned champion of the 12 and under AEGON Winter National Tour Finals which took place at the National Tennis Centre in Roehampton, London last weekend.

The 11-year-old beat Claudia Hallsworth from Bristol 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 in an entertaining final to cap an excellent week for the Dorset youngster.

Following an impressive run of form throughout the Winter National Tour, Eliz was invited to compete in the finals by the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA).

The invitation-only tournament is the pinnacle of the winter British tennis season and showcases the talent of some of the best young players in the country.

Eliz, who trains at the West Hants Club and is part of the AEGON Future Stars programme, was one of only 16 players to be invited, having earned her place by accumulating enough ranking points from LTA tournaments throughout the winter.

The newly-crowned champion said: “I had a game plan going into the final and it was to stay aggressive and keep my first serve percentage up, which I did.”

Leon Smith, LTA head of men’s and women’s tennis, said: “Com-petition is vitally important in developing both the tactical and mental qualities the players need to have in place as they progress and start to play internationally.”