Junior Orange Bowl participant from Wimbledon destined to be pro tennis player

When you were born and live your whole life in Wimbledon about a lob away from the All England Lawn Championships just outside of London, you are almost destined to be a professional tennis player.

That’s the plan for 12-year-old Hannah Klugman, even though she bowed out 6-3, 6-4 to a stronger, second-seeded Rositsa Dencheva from Bulgaria in a rain-delayed quarterfinal match of the Girls’ 14s in the Junior Orange Bowl International Championships on Sunday afternoon on the hard courts at the Biltmore Tennis Center.

“I love everything about tennis, about being on the court, I just can’t explain it,’’ said the sixth-seeded Klugman, who actually attends Wimbledon High School. “She doesn’t miss really, she stays calm, so she gives me nothing out there. Maybe next time I’ll put more on the ball. She’s just bigger than me right now so I couldn’t really get through her. Maybe next year.”

Dencheva, 14, part of the ITF sponsored Grand Slam Development Fund Team program that brought nine juniors from around the world to the tournament, including Boys’ 14s second seed Timofey Derepasko of Russia.

Both won the Eddie Herr International Tennis Championships two weeks ago in Bradenton, however, the second-seeded Derepasko lost his quarterfinal to unseeded Argentine Valentin Garay 6-2, 7-6 (7-4) on the hard courts of Crandon Park in the Boys’ 14s.

“I’m tired but I try not to show it,’’ said Dencheva, after winning her 11 straight matches in the two Level 2 Florida tournaments. “I’m trying to not show my angry emotions because that makes my opponents play better.”

There were more upsets in the Boys’ 14 draw as top-seeded Max Exsted, the Eddie Herr finalist, who splits his time between Minnesota and Miramar, went out to sixth-seed Calvin Baieri of Naples. No. 3 Darwin Blanch of Deerfield Beach, gutted out a 6-3, 4-6, 6-4 victory over No. 8 Maximus Dussault of Stuart.

The final semifinalist is No. 5 Alejandro Arcila of Jensen Beach, who advanced when his opponent Thijs Boogaard (9) retired with an injury trailing 6-4, 2-0.

In the Boys’ 12s, top seed Teo Davidov, the Eddie Herr champion with two forehands, needed another stroke in a 6-3, 6-4 loss to No. 9 Juan Miguel Bolivar of Colombia, who will play eighth-seeded Jerrid Gaines of Margate, after his 6-1, 6-1 rout of Felipe Mamede of Brazil on the clay courts of Salvadore Park.

In the Girls’ 12s, top seed Christina Lyutova of Newport Beach, Calif., dispatched Ye Sung Choo of South Korea, 6-1, 6-1. She will play local product No. 8 Zaire Clarke of Greenacres, who upset No. 4 Anita Tu 6-2, 7-6 (7-3). The other semi pits No. 3 Lia Belibova of Moldova against No. 9 Nancy Lee.

Klugman, who has attended Wimbledon since she was about 7, has been ranked No. 1 in the 12s and 14s in England’s Lawn Tennis Association after winning the National Championships in 2019 and ’21.

She hopes to follow in the footsteps of British phenom Emma Raducanu, who finished third in this tournament five years ago and at 19, won the US Open last summer. She took a photo with Raducanu at a recent dinner they were at together for a fundraiser in a restaurant in Wimbledon.

“I told her, ‘Well done’ and what an inspiration she is for me,’’ Hannah said. “It encourages us to keep going.”

Klugman’s coach Ben Haran, based at the Reeds Tennis School in Surrey where Hannah attends 7seventh grade, said her competitiveness is her No. 1 attribute.

“She’s not afraid to play anyone,’’ said Haran, who has worked with pros Jack Draper (ranked 264th) and Dan Evans (ranked 25th).

Fourth-seeded Shannon Lam of East Brunswick, N.J., advanced into the semifinal with a 6-4, 6-4 victory over No. 7 Katie Rolls, who trains at Gomez Tennis Academy in Naples, as does fellow quarterfinalist Pennsylvanian Nina Costalas. She was forced to retire with a hamstring strain at 4-4, giving ninth seed Emma Dong of Vancouver a pass into the semis, where she will play top-seeded Iva Jovic, of Torrance, Calif., winner of the Easter Bowl 14s.

Jovic shook off a five-minute distraction when Costalas fell on her court, to take out No. 5 Claire An 6-2, 6-3 in front of her Evert Tennis Academy coaches.