Nine-year-old Zara Stefanovic achieved an impressive clean sweep at recent Isle of Man Closed Tennis Championships.

The Ashley Hill School pupil won both the under-10 and under-11 island titles, including producing a dominant display in the latter final by winning in straight sets 6-2, 6-0.

To cap off a successful week, Zara was also awarded the prestigious Junior Performance Award for her outstanding play and sportsmanship.

The award, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, recognises a player's development and improvement over the previous 12 months - not just in terms of technical skills but also court etiquette, tactical intelligence and competitive maturity. It is judged on performances throughout the entire year across the junior series, county fixtures and other external tournaments.

Several notable players have won the award in the past, including Isle of Man professional Billy Harris during his junior years.

Seeing his name on the trophy is sure to be an inspiration for Zara, especially with Harris now representing the island and Great Britain internationally at tournaments like Wimbledon and the US Open.

Speaking after the recent championships, the youngster said: 'I am just so happy with my results and my award and I really want to thank my dad for all the time he spends playing tennis with me.'

The youngster has a dedicated team behind her success. While her main coach is her dad, Ashley Stefanovic, she also benefits from the excellent junior coaching programmes and facilities at both Albany Lawn Tennis Club and Douglas Lawn Tennis Club.

Zara is already trying to aid others within the sport – she is due to start helping coach some of the younger children this week at Albany on the indoor court.

Anyone interested in trying tennis should attend one of the clubs across the island or visit https://clubspark.lta.org.uk/Tennisisleofman