Denise Payet warmed up for her senior England debut by winning a national table tennis title.
The Enfield teenager will line up for England versus Spain in a European Championships qualifying tie in Preston on Tuesday, alongside English top two and seasoned internationals Kelly Sibley and Tin-Tin Ho.
It follows her impressive run to the semi-finals of the PG Mutual National Championships last month, and she proved she is still in great form by winning the Junior National Cup at the weekend.
The round-robin event is for the top players in the national junior rankings and Payet had a 100 per cent record in her six matches to take the title, dropping only four sets on the way.
“Last year I was fourth and I wanted to turn that around and step up my game. I’ve been training a lot in the last year so I’m really happy,” she said.
On her upcoming England debut, she added: “I’m very honoured to be chosen and grateful to have the opportunity. It will be a really good experience and I can’t wait.
“It was a bit of a surprise, but because I came third at the Nationals, I feel like it’s a kind of reward and I want to show what I’m capable of and see if I can get chosen more in the future.”
Payet has initially been chosen for the home leg of the two-legged play-off against Spain, which will determine whether England qualify for the top division of the European Championships later this year.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here