Upcoming tennis star Daniel Hammond has proven once again why he is one of the brightest prospects in the country.
The Whangarei Intermediate pupil recently took out the under-12 division of the 2016 Junior Masters Top 8 Finals, held in Wellington.
Hammond said he pulled himself back after a brief moment of doubt in pool play.
"I played really well down there. My coach [Peter Stenberg] told me to trust in myself and I did," he said.
"In pool play I got a bit down because I dropped a set, but I believed in myself and got the win."
That set would be the only one he dropped all tournament as he romped home to the title.
Now his focus switches to the other side of the Tasman Sea.
"I'm heading to Melbourne to play in the Australia Nationals. They send the top three from New Zealand, which I made," Hammond said.
"I'll be playing in both the singles event and the teams event, where we will play both singles and doubles."
Playing since he was 5, Hammond works incredibly hard at his chosen sport. He plays and trains up to four times a week.
He plays men's inter club on Mondays, has inter squad training on Wednesdays and does extra work on Thursdays and Sundays.
Hammond said he just loved playing the game.
"The best part about tennis is getting out on the court and playing as much as I can," he said.
"The big goal is to become a professional tennis player."
His coach is Peter Stenberg, a well respected coach who has helped develop his ever-improving game.
Hammond said Stenberg was a great coach and did not talk him up.
"He's a nice guy but he doesn't compliment your shots," he said.
"He says you don't need a coach that will compliment all your work, but one that tells you exactly what you need to work on."
Hammond heads to the Australian Championships in December. The event runs from December 13-18 at Melbourne Park.