With a little over three months to go before the year draws to a close, Nethmi Waduge can reflect on this past tennis season with a deep sense of satisfaction. Not only did she stamp her authority over a number of top players in the junior circuit, but she also ventured deep into the senior [...]

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The Sundaytimes Sri Lanka

Waduge racing towards tennis summit

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With a little over three months to go before the year draws to a close, Nethmi Waduge can reflect on this past tennis season with a deep sense of satisfaction. Not only did she stamp her authority over a number of top players in the junior circuit, but she also ventured deep into the senior national tournament before falling in the finals to Amritha Muttiah.

What gives all these achievements added significance is the fact that she is still only thirteen-years-old. However, despite her age, Nethmi demonstrated enormous quantities of skill, resilience and maturity on the court, matching and most oftentimes conquering older and more experienced players.

Nevertheless her progress, although occurring at a phenomenal pace, is not all that surprising given the steady course it has taken over the past few years. She launched herself on the national stage by clinching the under 10 championship in 2008, before moving on to become Under 12 champion in 2010.

This year she announced her arrival in the big leagues with a truly commanding exhibition on the junior tennis stage which saw her claim the Under 14 and Under 16 singles titles after opting not to participate in the Under 18 age group.

In a sense though, she made amends for this by defeating the competition’s under 18 singles champion Shankari Thayakaran, in straight sets (6-4, 6-4), in the semifinals of the senior national championships.

Her success at this competition, in addition to securing her a large collection of high-profile scalps, also cemented her a place amongst the top names of Sri Lankan women’s tennis.

Her father Lalith Waduge says that his daughter hopes to continue with her imperious march through both the junior and senior ranks by remaining dedicated to the sport and disciplined in her work ethic.

Nevertheless, he admits that the road ahead is littered with obstacles, most of them financial due to the fact that funding for the local game is a scarce luxury.

However, he, like the many who have been fortunate enough to see her at her dominant best, believes in his daughter’s skill and passion, and knows that she is more than capable of scaling all these hardships and carving her name into the country’s tennis annals. D.S




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