Young tennis player on way back

TENNIS: A year or so ago life wasn't all that good for Emma Hayman.
Struck down by glandular fever and chronic fatigue, her highly-promising tennis career was on hold and she couldn't even manage a full day of classes at Wanganui Collegiate.
But now 17-year-old Hayman is on the way back, and in a month takes her tennis career a step further with a second spell at Stuttgart's (Germany) Cansttat Tennis Club for the northern summer.
Hayman was at Cansttat in 2002 as a 14-year-old after top form in leading New Zealand tournaments had seen her gain a scholarship at the club courtesy of one of New Zealand's leading coaches at the time, Michael Mooney.
This time, after battling her way back into play towards the end of last year and getting better as time has gone by, she and coach John Gardiner have organised a second time at Canstatt.
Gardiner has coached the South African-born Hayman since she and her family arrived in Wanganui eight years ago from a South Africa which was becoming dangerous to live in.
"Mum (Jane) and dad (Dorstan) wanted to get us into a safer place, basically," says Hayman. "They just wanted us to have the best, I guess."
Emma Hayman had hit the odd tennis ball during her young life in Durban, but took to the game when she arrived in Wanganui.
"The game just caught me. And Wanganui's been good as well. While it might be good for my game to live somewhere like Auckland, I wouldn't get the support that I receive in Wanganui."
So she became one of New Zealand's leading juniors, finishing second in the under-14 nationals in 2002 before going to Cansttat. But a hectic schedule that year took its toll and she became ill when she returned to New Zealand.
"It started with glandular fever, which turned into chronic fatigue. I'd had glandular fever five years before that, and it hit me again.
"I got so tired I couldn't cope with a full day at school, I couldn't cope with tennis and I couldn't cope with any exercise," said Hayman. There was no tennis from then until late last year, Hayman trying to battle back once, having to rest again, and then getting finally into some sort of order late in 2004.
This year's she's come back so well she's won two of the national Super Series under-18 singles tournaments ? and with Wanganui's Trelise Graham the doubles at those tournaments as well.
She was also unbeaten in singles when Collegiate finished third in the national secondary schools recently as well. Now, it's off to Cansttat for some clay court experience and to see just what she is now capable of.
"I'm going to see what happens, just what I can do. Maybe when I finish school I will try for a scholarship in the United States, play tennis there and see where it takes me." She's glad to be back.