COURT starlet Amelia Bissett handed herself a birthday present to remember last month as she won her first ever national title on clay.

The Poulshot youngster was in action in the U10 Aegon clay court championships at the Queenswood Tennis Centre in Hertfordshire on her tenth birthday on May 25, storming through the knockout stages to take the top prize a day later.

Bissett, who trains at the Team Bath Tennis Centre, cruised to a 4-1, 4-2 victory over tournament favourite Arabella Moen in the final and was delighted with her title triumph.

“It was a big surprise because I wasn’t expecting to do so well,” she said.

“I’d trained on clay before but never played on it at a competition. It’s quite hard to move quickly and you have to slide if you want to go from one side to the other.

“I had a birthday cake after I won and we got to go out for a meal.”

Mum Liz said: “She did really well because all of the top girls in the country were there and she beat some that have beaten her before.

“She was six months younger than pretty much everyone that she played and it’s great that she won it on her first time there – she could go and do the same next year.

“She’s never played on her birthday before but it was worth it in the end.”

Bissett’s recent performances have also seen her invited to the National Tennis Centre in Roehampton on June 9 for a training camp with Great Britain U10 girls’ coach Andy Barnes.

Bissett, whose 15-year-old brother Will also trains at Team Bath. He is on the FutureStars programme, is sponsored by Latchways of Devizes, and won the Aegon Winter National Tour final in March.

FOR MORE SPORTS NEWS, REPORTS & PICTURES SEE THURSDAY'S GAZETTE & HERALD AND FOLLOW US ON TWITTER @gazsport