WHILE all eyes will be on Sir Andy Murray to see whether he can successfully defend his Wimbledon crown, a young tennis star from Allerton is looking for their own moment in the SW19 spotlight.

World No 1 Murray will once again spearhead the British charge when this year's Championships get underway on Monday.

One person who will be watching on closely will be 14-year-old Jayanne Palma, safe in the knowledge she has already secured her own spot at the world-famous venue.

It comes after the North Halifax Grammar School pupil triumphed at the HSBC Road to Wimbledon north regional qualifier at Ilkley Lawn Tennis and Squash Centre.

She will now play in the national finals of the HSBC Road to Wimbledon 14-and-under challenge at the All England Club between August 14 and 19, where qualifiers will be looking to walk away overall champion of the tournament.

With Murray aiming to win Wimbledon for the third time and equal fellow British player Fed Perry's record, Palma – who trains at Heaton Tennis and Squash Club – admits she cannot wait for her own chance to step on the famous grass courts.

"I feel pretty good. It's the first time I've played at the Road to Wimbledon and I'm really excited now to go to the actual Wimbledon and play there," she said after beating Caitlin Ward.

"I've not been there before – not even to watch the tennis, although I have played on grass before.

"I think I did well to keep my head in the game after I lost the first set and needed to stop focusing on that. I was playing well, I was attacking well and I think my serve was pretty good.

"I thought my opponent in the second-round match played really well. I play with her quite a lot and we're friends off the court, although I know that on the court it's always a tough match against her."

The HSBC Road to Wimbledon national 14-and-under challenge forms part of HSBC's investment in grass-roots tennis, an area of the sport the official banking partner of the championships has been supporting since 2008.

Each year over 10,000 youngsters take part in the series of national tournaments, helping to inspire the next generation of Wimbledon stars to take their tennis careers from the back garden to centre court.

With the chance to enjoy national success in August, Palma is hoping this summer is just the start of their own journey to the very top like Murray.

She said: "I'd love to go pro. It's something I've wanted since I was a kid, since I was six and started playing tennis.

"In training I've been working on staying calm under pressure and that's one of the big positives I'll take away from my winning match.

"But I'd still like to improve my backhand and I'd like to come into the net a bit more."

* HSBC is the official banking partner of the championships and is committed to supporting grass-roots tennis, helping to inspire the next generation of Wimbledon stars to take their tennis careers from the back garden to centre court through the HSBC Road to Wimbledon 14-and-under challenge. @HSBC_sport