Rising star Anita Todd has issued an appeal for sponsorship to help her fulfil her tennis dreams.

The Frinton ace has already proved a smash on the junior circuit - beating some of the top seeds in her age group - and harbours ambitions of going all the way to the top.

However, a lack of funds could curtail her ambitions and she is desperate for help to break through to the top flight, both in this country and on the world stage.

Todd, 14, told the Gazette: "I haven't had the chance to compete in many ranking tournaments but, despite that, I've still managed to get up to a high of 34 in the UK seedings.

"With the right backing, I want to go all the way to the top."

The cost of travelling to tournaments, entry fees and accommodation is proving a stumbling block.

And, despite help from her club, she still can't afford to play enough tournaments to help her ranking go up.