ST Ambrose College emerging tennis star Peter Alam has risen to the UK's number one tennis player at his age level after winning a pan European tournament in Lithuania.

Competing against 64 of the best players aged 14 and under across the continent, the Bowdon teenager cruised to the top tournament victory, winning both singles and doubles events.

Peter plays his tennis at the Bolton Arena Tennis Academy under top coach Stephen Fathers and trains for at least 15 hours a week combining work on the court with physical fitness.

He is already on an athlete's diet and hopes one day to join the professional circuit.

Peter said: “I like to get to the net as often as possible in rallies and dominate.

"I have a big forehand and consider that to be quite a weapon, but there's a long long way to go before I can compete against my heroes such as Roger Federer and Rafa Nadal.”

The next big event in the Tennis First series is at Peter's home courts in Bolton and he is looking forward to the challenge, “It's a real opportunity for me to cement my position in the ranking” he said.

Peter began playing tennis with his mum and dad Tanya and Faouzi at the David Lloyd Centre in Warrington when he was six but said: “Mum and dad now play Sunday fun tennis so I don't really get involved in that anymore.”

St Ambrose College headmaster James Keulemans said: “Peter has a rare talent and one which needs to be supported at this early age.”