'I just fell in love with it': Dedicated teen getting stronger on tennis court

Brian stepped on court for day one of the Warrnambool Grasscourt Open on Thursday, December 28, with the teen sporting a jam-packed schedule across the four-day tournament.

Seeded third in the 16 and under boys draw, he will also contest 16 and under mixed doubles (with Olivia Uren), A grade men's doubles (with Toby Coutts) and B grade men's singles games.

"A bit of pressure," he said of his seeding. "I'll just play my own game, try and get as many balls back because it's grass, you hope they get a bad bounce and you get the point."

Brian, who starts Year 10 at Emmanuel College in 2024, has played tennis for up to six years, with his family a big part of why he picked up a racquet.

"We've been playing tennis for a while, for a few generations," he said. "That helped get me into it and I just fell in love with it.

Now Brian trains every night for up to one or two hours.

Playing mostly in Warrnambool - at both Warrnambool Lawn Tennis Club and Supergrasse Tennis Complex - Brian also travels for weekend competitions in Geelong, as well as other tournaments across Victoria.

He is grateful to his parents for supporting his sporting pursuit, through time and money, and feels his training paying off.

"I've felt I've definitely gotten stronger," Brian said.

"I'd say probably my strongest shot is my serve, being that I'm super tall... give it a good whack, I love it."

Brian, who hopes to push into the open draw in the coming years, enjoys soaking up the experience of the grasscourt open.

"(I) just love everyone here, it's good money for the club, you get to see some good tennis and learn a few things off the good players, especially those seeded players in open (grade)," he said.

"I'm either playing or I'm watching my mates."

The 2023 Warrnambool Grasscourt Open runs until December 31.