Former Tauranga boy Jade Aperahama Te Aika Kipa, 11, is back playing tennis again and doing well enough to set his hopes on making the 12s NZ Junior Masters Championships in October.

Jade's had a year off tennis due to injuries but picked up the racket again three weeks ago to compete in tournaments in Thailand, where he lives.

In the 100 Plus Junior Championship, a grade four tournament, last weekend, in the second round Jade beat Supawat Saouy, 5/3, 4/1. Supawat made the final of the Thailand Nationals a few days earlier. He was ranked number three in Thailand 12s nationally.

In the semi-final Jade beat Maximus P Jones, who beat him two weeks ago. Jade won 1/4, 5/3, 10/8 in the super-tie break. Jade was down one set and 3/1 down in the second set but fought back to win. In the final Jade played Chisinapong Kokinsetsiri and lost 4/2, 0/4, 10/4 in the supertie break.

Cinsinapong is ranked number one in the Thai Nationals and he won the final of the Thai Nationals last Tuesday beating Supawat. Thanks to these efforts, Jade is now placed 80/76/30 in Thailand's National Rankings for 12s boys, coming from zero in the last three weeks and hoping for a top 10 spot in the next three weeks, says his dad Andrew Kipa.

'After the first tournament his ranking went to 80, then after the second tournament it went to 76; after this last tournament it will go to 30.”

The family has lived in Thailand for the last 15 years. The parents worked as teachers initially, but now the focus is on Jade's tennis career.

'We live in Thailand as it's cheap and with the warm weather here you can train all year.

'Our hope is to play for New Zealand in the future so the first step is getting into the 12s top eight masters,” says Andrew. The Kipa whanau has ties to Tauranga, with Jade's grandparents still living here.

He's hoping a top 10 placing in Thailand this year will get Jade a wild card into the New Zealand Junior 12s Masters in October.

Jade won the 10s Maori Nationals three years ago. He also played in the Thai Nationals about four years ago, something he can no longer do as participation has become restricted to Thai kids only.

Jade was ranked number three in the 8s in Thailand Nationally at the time, says Andrew.