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Canterbury's Ben Gusic Wan hoping to return to Wimbledon in 2023 after showing promise despite first-round defeat to Peter Benjamin Privara in boys' singles

Canterbury teenager Ben Gusic Wan says his appearance in the boys' singles at Wimbledon this year has whetted his appetite for more.

The 14-year-old was one of the youngest players in the draw this year but he showed composure and maturity beyond his years on his All England Club debut.

Ben Gusic Wan played an opponent three years his senior at Wimbledon
Ben Gusic Wan played an opponent three years his senior at Wimbledon

Gusic Wan faced a tough opening round against Peter Benjamin Privara - an opponent three years older than him - and he fought valiantly before being beaten 7-5 6-1 by the Slovakian.

Gusic Wan has played a few times at the All England Club but, understandably, there were a few nerves at the beginning of his first competitive match there.

“I felt at the start that I was really nervous and shaking a bit, but as soon as I got out there, the crowd was with me - it was great,” he said.

“I saw a few familiar faces out there that just helped me play better, just relax a bit more. Just friends, family, people that I used to train with a while back, a few coaches, my hitting partners.

“I feel like I’ve accomplished something, which I’m happy with. I’m just really happy that I got a wildcard into this tournament as well. I just love playing on the grass, the surface is so nice.”

Gusic Wan is by no means the biggest player, and there is one particular player he admires.

He added: “I look up to the pros, obviously like [Novak] Djokovic and [Rafael] Nadal, but I feel like I also look up to [Diego] Schwartzman, because he’s quite small.

“I feel like we play similar, me and him. I’m inspired by him.

“I just love playing tournaments, travelling around the world, just playing back at base. I just love every minute of it.

“I think I’ll try and get a few more ITFs played, see how my ranking is and try and improve my ranking and see what happens after that - and play Wimbledon next year, hopefully. That would be good.”

For the latest action on the British summer grass court season, check out the LTA website.

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