Daniel Phillips has continued his fine recent run of form in junior tennis tournaments by making it through to the first round of the prestigious J1 Bradenton event in Florida.

Daniel Phillips match point video

Bermudian Phillips left it all out on the court as he beat Simon Mysilvec of the Czech Republic 6-1, 1-6, 12-10 in the final qualifying round to make it into the main draw of the J1 tournament, the second level on the International Tennis Federation tour.

Phillips had earlier beaten highest-ranked player Gonzalo Zeitune of Argentina and Rohan Belday of the United States to progress to the showdown with Mysilvec.

The 17-year-old will now be knocking on the door of the world’s top 300 juniors after this qualifying success comes hot on the heels of a win in Boca Raton and a runner-up finish in Guatemala last week.

After beating Zeitune, who is ranked 173 places higher than him, Belday, and Mysilvec ranked more than 150 place his superior, Phillips has secured his spot in what will be the highest grade of competition he has faced with the Bradenton event starting on Monday

Usually plying his trade at J4 level, the fifth tier of junior tennis, Phillips is now certain to be starting 2023 off his highest-ever rating.