http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/blog/2012/jan/28/australian-open-diary-andy-murrayJosh Ward-Hibbert has finally broken cover. The Nottingham teenager was little discussed until he stormed through the boys' singles, knocking over the eighth and ninth seeds before going out in the quarters to the Canadian Filip Peliwo – who went on to lose in Saturday's final to the Australian Luke Saville, now a two-times winner here.
Ward-Hibbert, 6ft 4in with a booming serve and as yet untamed forehand and a delightful single-handed backhand, looks to have the tools to make it as a professional. One seasoned Brit-prospect-watcher (a thankless task) said: "He has everything. He is built like Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, is a great athlete and plays with such energy and power."
Another reason you might notice the personable young man with the big game and easy smile is he is one of the few black juniors coming through.
On Friday, he made up for his disappointment in the singles by teaming up with the better-known Liam Broady to win the boys' doubles title. Seeded six, they won comfortably, 6-3, 6-2 in 44 minutes, against Filip Veger and Adam Pavlasek. (The Czech Pavlasek has an older girlfriend: the Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova.)
Ward-Hibbert is still an innocent in an exciting world, undecided whether to go on the Tour this summer or go to college in the United States later in the year. He will decide in March.
"I'm 18, come from Nottingham. I have been training in Spain [at the Sotogrande academy on the Costa del Sol, run by the former British doubles No1 Dan Kiernan]. I try to play aggressively. That's the only way I'm going to be able to go far in the game. I started with a single-handed backhand, I guess it's just habit and I work on it the best I can."
It is his serving that most easily catches the eye. "At Wimbledon, I got the junior record with 131mph. Pretty quick.
"I started at the Nottingham tennis centre, when I was about 13. I went to Spain when I was about 14 and I am at Soto full time. It's fantastic. I played a bit of basketball when I was younger but tennis was always my first sport. I was just better at it.
"I am trying to keep my options open, don't want to close any door. There's a chance I might be going into the American college system. It's a chance to get some great coaching. After four years there, I would come out of that and go on Tour. But I will see how it goes. I'm going to make a decision around March or a bit later. It starts in September this year.
"Obviously there's school involved but, for me, it's about improving my game over four years. I don't have a game that's going to peak at a younger age, so I've got to be patient. It would be easier on my parents, financially, too – and a high level of tennis."
For now, it's back to Nottingham to see his family (the hyphen comes from his mother and father, who kept their surnames). "Neither of them plays. My brother, Matthew, started and that's how I got into it. Not many hyphens on the tennis circuit. Hopefully, there will be one soon.
"I am out a lot but I try to get home as much as I can. It's tough but I don't get too homesick when I'm away for a long time.
"When I was a kid, I loved to see Federer play – Monfils and Tsonga too. Great entertainers. But I also like how Berdych plays, kind of big. He knows what he can do. I've walked by Federer a few times [here]. Tried to get eye contact. Got a little smile but he didn't really recognise me. Maybe some day he will. Hopefully on the other side of the net."
