January 30, 2013 at 5:54 p.m.
Wade's making his mark, but it's in sports not politics
But the teenager is beginning to make a name for himself in his own right.
Very soon you may know him simply as Freddie Wade jnr - one of the island's top tennis players.
The 15-year-old lefty recognizes he's got a long way to go before he can take that accolade.
But winning two tournaments in a weekend is a pretty good start.
Freddie, the son of the late Freddie Wade one of the key figures in the PLP's rise to power, and grandson of Bermuda Lawn Tennis Association president Alan Simmons, said he was commonly recognized for his famous relatives.
But he said, in tennis circles, it was more commonly his grandpa that people referred to.
And after winning both the B and C Division Men's singles titles at the Fairmont Southampton Grand Prix earlier this month, he's determined to train hard and take his game to the next level.
"My family's been a big influence. My grandpa's been coaching me and my mum comes to watch. She said she broke her sunglasses when I was playing in the final, because it was so close."
His mum needn't have worried. Wade went on to win the B Division, beating Dennis Harris 6-4. 5-7, 6-3 in the final and gave the prize of a night at the Fairmont Southampton hotel to his mum.
Now Wade, who beat Lamar Cross in straight sets in the C Division final, is taking part in the Manders Island Tennis Academy at the national stadium and working to take his game to the next level.
He said he had been overseas to play in a couple of tournaments and to work on his game at the ICA Tennis Academy in Florida, and that had inspired him to train harder.
"I trained really hard for these tournaments and it paid off. I went away to play and I looked at the competition and saw how intense it was and how serious and focused they were and that inspired me.
"I could stick with them but they just had that extra edge,"
He said he had paid particular attention to his serve and his forehand as well as strategy in setting up points.
Grandpa Alan Simmons said he had plenty of potential but, like the other top young players in Bermuda, needed to work hard on his game and get exposure to a higher level of tennis to improve. n
But the teenager is beginning to make a name for himself in his own right.
Very soon you may know him simply as Freddie Wade jnr - one of the island's top tennis players.
The 15-year-old lefty recognizes he's got a long way to go before he can take that accolade.
But winning two tournaments in a weekend is a pretty good start.
Freddie, the son of the late Freddie Wade one of the key figures in the PLP's rise to power, and grandson of Bermuda Lawn Tennis Association president Alan Simmons, said he was commonly recognized for his famous relatives.
But he said, in tennis circles, it was more commonly his grandpa that people referred to.
And after winning both the B and C Division Men's singles titles at the Fairmont Southampton Grand Prix earlier this month, he's determined to train hard and take his game to the next level.
"My family's been a big influence. My grandpa's been coaching me and my mum comes to watch. She said she broke her sunglasses when I was playing in the final, because it was so close."
His mum needn't have worried. Wade went on to win the B Division, beating Dennis Harris 6-4. 5-7, 6-3 in the final and gave the prize of a night at the Fairmont Southampton hotel to his mum.
Now Wade, who beat Lamar Cross in straight sets in the C Division final, is taking part in the Manders Island Tennis Academy at the national stadium and working to take his game to the next level.
He said he had been overseas to play in a couple of tournaments and to work on his game at the ICA Tennis Academy in Florida, and that had inspired him to train harder.
"I trained really hard for these tournaments and it paid off. I went away to play and I looked at the competition and saw how intense it was and how serious and focused they were and that inspired me.
"I could stick with them but they just had that extra edge,"
He said he had paid particular attention to his serve and his forehand as well as strategy in setting up points.
Grandpa Alan Simmons said he had plenty of potential but, like the other top young players in Bermuda, needed to work hard on his game and get exposure to a higher level of tennis to improve.[[In-content Ad]]
Comments:
You must login to comment.