World Team Cup success for Norfolk juniors

Norwich-based Ben Bartram and Ruby Bishop were members of the Great Britain silver medal-winning team in the Junior event at the BNP Paribas World Team Cup in Israel.

The juniors finished top of their round-robin pool, beating top seeds Argentina (2-1), Australia (2-1) and Colombia (3-0) and won their semi-final against Brazil 2-1.

They faced Australia again in the final and the tie came down to a deciding doubles rubber. However, despite saving four match points, GB were beaten 6-4 2-6 (14-12).

Ruby, playing in her first World Team Cup, said: "It's very good to come here to my first World Team Cup and medal. It's disappointing to take it all the way to the tie break and get so close, but we've got to keep coming and next year get the gold."

It was a second World Team Cup appearance for Ben, who added: "I'm very proud of the silver medal, but it would have been much nice to have a gold medal around my neck at the moment. We played the best we could today and we should have won it, but it wasn't to be."