Wheelchair tennis player Jamie Robinson is gearing up to taking on the sport's finest next year after breaking into the world's top 125.

Jamie, from Benfleet, is ranked 108 following a successful summer on the satellite tour.

And he hopes to make an impression on the wheelchair tennis top flight after getting a taste of what is to come at the Nottingham Open this month.

"I have now moved on up to 108 and that qualifies me for the main tour as I'm in the top 125 in the world," said the 28-year-old.

In Nottingham Jamie beat highly-ranked British player Steve Wood 6-0 3-6 6-2, before being knocked out 6-0 6-1 by UK number one Jayant Mistry in an epic 2-hour match where most games went to deuce.

"I have had an extraordinary year. I have played eight tournaments and of the eight I reached five finals and won three of those.

"That in itself is extraordinary, and then to play that first tournament and take out the number 48 in the world and then go on to play the number eight in the world... it was a great year."

Jamie, who coaches and trains at Southend Leisure and Tennis Centre in Eastern Avenue, says his experiences at Nottingham have taught him a lot about playing the world's best.

He explained Jayant is a true wheelchair tennis player because he has always played in a chair. His game plan is based on trying to keep players moving through rallies.

Jamie, who took up wheelchair tennis after breaking his back in a snowboarding accident in 1996, still plays like an able-bodied player, favouring strong serves and volleys.

"I don't like to play long rallies. I want to get the point as soon as possible," he admitted.

The new season will not start until next spring but the former Southend High School pupil will be busy during the winter as he has been called up for national training in Birmingham on December 8.

The session is a selection day where the players will be categorised for training groups which meet monthly.

Jamie started playing tennis when he was ten or 11, representing Southend High and playing at Crowstone and then Thorpe Bay clubs when he lived in Southchurch.

But he never played many competitions because his sporting aspirations lay in snowboarding. But then tragedy struck.

"I had an accident snowboarding in France while training for the British championships in 1996.

"I broke my back and spent almost a year at Stoke Mandeville in rehabilitation."

Jamie moved to Benfleet in 1998 and has split his time training with coaching at the Eastern Avenue tennis centre.

He thanked centre manager Kim Dennis and tennis development officer Luke Greenway for letting him take time off for tournaments.

And Jamie also praised Thorpe Bay tennis club chairman Michael Baggs for arranging sponsorship through Miller Insurance in London to enable him to compete on the satellite tour.

He also thanked local businessman Robert Dobinson, who has picked up other expenses not covered by Millers' sponsorship, and Shirleys Tyres for supplying tyres for his tennis wheelchair for the last two years.

Converted for the new archive on 19 November 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.