Amy Bowtell: Part of the Irish Federation Cup Team to play Estonia
Why is it that when it comes to tennis, we just can't seem to cut the mustard? Every year we tune in to Wimbledon hoping this might be the year for an Irish person to go on a bit of a run at the All England Club - a feisty underdog in the Tim Henman mould would be nice - but every year we are disappointed. In that context, the recent news that 14-year-old Amy Bowtell is to be part of the senior Irish Federation Cup team to face Estonia is to be welcomed (cautiously) as a portent of good times ahead for the sport in this country. If selected to play in the tournament, Bowtell will be the youngest player ever to represent Ireland in a Federation Cup competition. From Greystones in Co Wicklow, she has been playing tennis since she was nine and is currently ranked 56 in Europe at under-16 level.
Bowtell is determined to become a professional tennis player. "Yeah, I'd like to, definitely, but we'll have to wait and see what happens in the next few years," she says. "The target for this year is to get in to the top 200 in the world at under-16 and after that we'll see what happens."
Earlier this season Bowtell won an under-16 International Tennis Federation (ITF) tournament in Sweden, defeating a girl ranked in the top 10. "I had played in two finals before that and lost, so I was determined to win this one."
She describes her elevation to the senior national team as a shock. "I really hadn't expected it at this stage of my career, but two of the regular players [Emma Murphy and Rachael Dillon] weren't available for selection. I don't know if I will get to play or not but I don't mind. It will depend how things go in the other matches. Even if I don't get to play, it will be great to see the other players in action."
Scratch the surface of this story and you get an insight into the relentless training regime that fuels her remarkable talent. After school each day Bowtell commutes to Glasnevin to work with her coach Garry Cahill at the Tennis Ireland National Academy in DCU. "I train there six days a week," she says, "and then three days a week we have an hour of physical work before school in the gym in Greystones. We start at about 6.30am so I have to be up at 6am." She's remarkably tolerant of such a strict training timetable. "It's grand. I like it. And besides I have the weekends off to have fun."
Ireland's Federation Cup Group II matches against Estonia take place in Tallinn from Monday until February 3rd.