Ben set to serve his

By Marc McGowan
BEN Anderson and 16-year-old tennis prodigy Bernard Tomic may have nothing in common other than age and the fact they both play the same sport.
But one thing is for certain – both teenagers’ lives will go hand in hand with tennis for the foreseeable future.
Tomic spent last week wowing international audiences at the Australian Open, while Anderson won the 16-year-old boys’ doubles title at this week’s Casey Junior Masters.
Anderson, from Upper Beaconsfield, plays tennis up to six times a week and moved to Box Hill Secondary College this year for its tennis program.
He also intends on heading to the United States to play college tennis after he finishes high school.
Put simply, Anderson lives and breathes the sport.
Upper Beaconsfield Tennis Club coach Paul Osborne is well aware of Anderson’s passion for the game.
“Ben lives on the tennis court, loves the game and you wouldn’t see him anywhere else,” he said.
“He’s really worked hard for what he’s got, whereas some others around the place have got a lot of talent, but don’t work very hard.”
Anderson, a self-professed aggressive baseliner, broke into Australia’s top 600 players this year following an impressive 2008.
He won the consolation brackets of last year’s 16-and-under TCAV Age Championships and the Big 4 Geelong Junior Grasscourts and proved equally adept on the doubles court.
“I’m starting to feel like I belong in these tournaments, whereas 12 months ago I wouldn’t have thought I could compete with these guys,” Anderson said.
“I think the biggest difference has been my self-belief and knowing I can do it.”
Anderson’s selection in the Gippsland Sports Academy and BOSS Tennis Academy over the past two years has certainly not harmed that self-belief.
His victory in the 16-year-old boys’ doubles title at the Casey Junior Masters did not come without drama.
Anderson was originally paired with Jordan Cowling and they were the number-one seeds, but Cowling called last Friday to say he’d dislocated his left shoulder.
Anderson contacted Dejan Erakovic, who was not playing in the doubles, but was the number-six seed in the singles, and Erakovic agreed to replace Cowling as his partner.
It may have been a last-minute union, but it proved ragingly successful as they breezed through the tournament without losing a set.
They defeated Upper Beaconsfield’s Sam Hall and Lewis Blake 6-3, 6-2 in the decider.
“It was my first doubles win and I’ve been runners-up twice,” Anderson said.
“Sam and I are good mates, so the match was played in good spirits, but it’s always good to knock him off.”
Anderson dreams of one day joining Tomic at Melbourne Park and will stop at nothing to achieve that goal.
“You’d love to – it’d be a dream. You just have to work as hard as you can and that’s all you can do,” he said.
“I’m a confident player and I still do hope it could happen, but you can’t guarantee anything.
“You’ve just got to put in the hard yards, have your goals and try to make them.”