The award is presented to the most valuable boys’ player at the tournament.

He received $1000 to put towards his tennis development.

The 13-year-old won all of his singles games – playing as the number one boy for South Australia.

He defeated the top male regional players from Victoria, Western Australia, Tasmania, New South Wales and Queensland.

“I played against the number one 13 and under player from each of the other teams,” he said.

Daniel also won three of his five doubles matches, when he teamed up with Jacob Eats, of Bordertown, to take on the top ranked boys’ doubles during from each of the four-person teams.

However, despite winning all of his singles matches Daniel said the competition was “pretty tough” with lots of “close matches”.

“I had to keep it all together – they don’t make silly mistakes,” he said.

The highlight of the experience was meeting tennis great Ken Rosewall.

“I had a chat with Ken Rosewall,” Daniel said.

“It got to where he talked about other racquets he used and stuff.

“He said his favourite shot was the backhand slice.”

Daniel picked up a tennis racquet before he could walk and started playing competition tennis at the age of five.

He plays for Trinity in both the junior and senior competitions in Port Pirie Tennis Association each Friday, and for Port Germein in the senior competition of the Southern Flinders Association each Saturday.

He trains and plays every day – something that helped him with his fitness at the tournament.

One match went to a super tie break in the third set, before he eventually won it at 18-16.

Daniel well and truly exceeded his pre-tournament expectation.

“I thought I would get slaughtered,” he said.

He moved to Adelaide to live in December to allow him to train at a tennis academy.

He was selected as the number one men’s player for the South Australian team after winning all of his games at an inter-association event at Port Lincoln in 2011.

Both the boys’ and girls’ teams finished fourth out of the six states competing in both the 13 and under competition.