Tennis pro Josh Paris was thrilled to celebrate his 25th birthday by winning the first week of the UK Pro League in straight sets.
The New London Synagogue member defeated his friend Billy Harris 6-3, 6-4 to claim the top spot in the second iteration of the domestic pro league, which boasts a £500,000 prize pot.
Paris, who first picked up a racket aged five, said: “It’s huge. I actually wasn’t even sure I was going to be in the tournament because it was pretty strong.
“I found out kind of two days before that I was going to be in. It was… I wouldn’t say a surprise, because I always believe I’m going to win, but a huge, huge start to the year.”
The London native leaves for a tournament in Egypt on Friday before returning to play in the nine-week UK Pro League, which culminates in a finals week in November.
