Oliver Golding

Oliver Golding

Oliver Golding in action during the 2010 US Open.
Full name	Oliver Golding
Country	United Kingdom
Residence	Richmond, London, United Kingdom
Born	(1993-09-29) September 29, 1993 (age 18) Richmond, London, United Kingdom
Height	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Weight	185 lb (84 kg)
Turned pro	2011
Plays	Right-handed (two-handed backhand)
Career prize money	$22,881
Singles
Career record	0–1
Career titles	0
Highest ranking	483 (May 21, 2012)
Current ranking	483 (May 21, 2012)
Grand Slam Singles results
Australian Open Junior	3R (2010)
French Open Junior	QF (2011)
Wimbledon	Q2 (2011)
Wimbledon Junior	SF (2010)
US Open Junior	W (2011)
Doubles
Career record	0–0
Career titles	0
Highest ranking	475 (February 6, 2012)
Current ranking	502 (April 30, 2012)
Grand Slam Doubles results
Australian Open Junior	1R (2010)
French Open Junior	QF (2010, 2011)
Wimbledon	Q1 (2011)
Wimbledon Junior	F (2011)
US Open Junior	F (2010)
Last updated on: 30 April 2012.

Olympic medal record
Competitor for a mixed-NOCs team
Men's tennis
Youth Olympic Games
Gold	2010 Singapore	Doubles

Oliver Golding is a British tennis player and former child actor, mostly known for his part as Ewan in the 2005 film The Adventures of Greyfriars Bobby (USA: Greyfriars Bobby). He was the youngest ever junior British number one, and the 2011 U.S.Open Boys Champion.^[1]

He is a Youth Olympic Games gold medallist, having won gold in the boys' doubles event in tennis at the 2010 Summer Youth Olympics with Czech partner Jiří Veselý, with whom he participate in the boys' doubles at the 2010 U.S. Open. On 11 September 2011, he beat world junior number 1 Jiri Vesely 5-7, 6-3, 6-4 to win the Junior Boys' Singles US Open championship.

Oliver Golding became a professional tennis player in 2011 after winning the US Open juniors.

Tennis

Early career

In 2004, he began playing tennis for the Esporta Riverside Club, Chiswick,^[2] and later that year went to Wimbledon, under the Lawn Tennis Association's "Ariel Champions of the Future" scheme, to meet former professionals Martina Navratilova and Todd Woodbridge.^[3]

Oliver Golding in action during the 2010 US Open.

On 27 November 2005, in the first ever Aberdeen Cup tennis match,^[4] Golding was selected to represent England in one of the junior matches, beating beat Scotland's Scott Lister 11 games to 4 in their "tie-break" style rubber, to square the match (however, Jamie Murray and Elena Baltacha won their subsequent doubles game, to secure a Scottish victory).^[5] It was claimed on the Guardian Unlimited website that Golding had "impressed Andy Murray when he played for England against Scotland".^[6]

In late 2006, as fourth seed, he lost 4–6, 2–6, in the semi-final of the Ariel Winter Grand Prix event (promoted by the LTA), to the eventual winner, number two seed Andrew Bettles.^[7] He also made news in the Daily Mail when Richmond upon Thames Council banned him (and other potential stars) from playing in the tennis courts which were part of his mother's back garden, and from which she coached local youngsters in tennis. This was due to complaints from local neighbours about the disturbance. The Council deemed that the extra activity constituted "unauthorised change in the court's use". His mother commented: "This ridiculous decision is going to threaten his training and cripple his prospects. We always hear how this country needs young tennis players but if this is how they are treated then what chance do they have? Oliver is representing Britain in the European Championships next year. From the end of this month he can't do the two hours per day practice he needs to maintain this standard in his own back garden."^[8]

His first two tournament wins were in the Bournemouth Open (Boys 14) at The West Hants Club on 5 August 2007,^[9] when he defeated David Wright 6–3, 6–0 in the Final,^[10] and in the Frutina Westway Winter Tournament (16 & Under) on 31 December 2007, when he beat Alexander Wilton 6–0, 6–0 in that Final match.^[11] Golding was also been the recipient of a £2000 grant from "Tennis First", a charity set up to help young players fulfil their potential, and tennis kit from the manufacturers Fred Perry.^[8] Subsequently, on 5 April 2008, Golding beat Zack Evenden 6–3, 6–1 to win the Rickmansworth Junior Tournament (18 & Under Boys Singles).^[12]

Golding won his first ITF tournament in July 2008 at the Grade 5 Scottish International ITF doubles competition, partnering Nick Jones.^[13] He became the British junior number 1 in late 2009. In 2010 he reached the semi finals in the junior boys singles at Wimbledon, beating the world Number #1 Jason Kubler en route. ^{[14] [15]}

At the Youth Olympics Golding beat world #1 and Junior Wimbledon champion Marton Fucsovics in round 1 of the singles.,^[16] and won gold in the boys' doubles with Czech partner Jiří Veselý. This moved him into the top 20 of the ITF boys' world rankings. At the 2010 US Open Golding once again teamed up with Jiří Veselý in the boys' doubles. They reached the final where they lost 6–1 7–5.

2011

He was given a wildcard to perform at the AEGON Championships in London but lost in the first round to 2007 finalist Nicolas Mahut, his first non junior event.

At the French Open Golding was a Boys Sinles Quarterfinalist, the furthest he has got in the tournament. He was knocked out by Bjorn Fratangelo 1-6, 1-6. He also reached the Quarterfinals of the Boys doubles at the French Open, partnered with Jiří Veselý, they lost to M Krueger and S Vinsant of the USA in 4-6, 6-4, (8-10).

At the Wimbledon Championships he went onto the Final of the boys' doubles, partnered with Jiří Veselý once again. They were defeated by George Morgan & Mate Pavić in 3 sets 6-3, 4-6, 5-7. Golding reached the second round of the boys' singles.

He and fellow Brit partner Liam Broady reached the quarter final of the boys' doubles at the 2011 U.S. Open, being beaten by R Kern and J Lenz, 6-7 (4-7), 4-6 of Germany who went onto win the tournament. In the boys' Singles at the 2011 U.S. Open he progressed to the final after beating fellow brit George Morgan, 6-0, 7-6 (7-2). On 11 September 2011, he beat world junior number 1 Jiri Vesely 5-7, 6-3, 6-4 to win the Junior Boys' Singles US Open championship. His first Singles Grand Slam Championship. This returned Golding to the ranking of 2 for the ITF Junior Boys Rankings.

Education

Golding was educated at Newland House School, an independent school in Twickenham in south west London.^[17] Oliver attended the Ganeass Educational Support Services from the age of ten to the current time. Oliver has taken three GCSE each year from the age of 12, 13 and 14 passing all his exams with C grade and above. Oliver has also taken A levels in Spanish and English and he is also currently studying GCE Physical Education.^{[citation needed]}

Acting career

Golding's earliest appearance was on television in a commercial for Vauxhall Motors, as a two-year-old baby in 1996.^{[citation needed]} After a small part in a stage version of Wind in the Willows in 1997, his next television role was in 1998 as Nat^[18] in the first two episodes of the wartime romantic drama Coming Home, which starred Keira Knightley.^[19]

Golding had to wait four years before being included in his first film project, as one of four small boys in Mike Leigh's award-winning^[20] 2002 comedy drama All or Nothing.^[21] His biggest film role to date then came in The Adventures of Greyfriars Bobby, a tale of the story of Greyfriars Bobby, a child who takes on the responsibility of a policeman's dog after his death, and who has to win the battle with authority to save the dog's life. Though casting began in 2002, the film was delayed much delayed due to problems with the funding.^[22] Shooting largely took place during 2004-05, and the film was released in France on 11 May 2005, Italy in July 2005, the USA on 29 October 2005, and at the Children's Film Festival in the UK on 16 November 2005.^[23]

In 2003 he portrayed Jeremy Potts in another stage show, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, in London's West End. In the same year, he appeared as one of the children in Ibsen's play, Brand, which starred Ralph Fiennes and was directed by Adrian Noble.^[24]

In March 2004, Golding made an appearance as a young customer in "Elephants and Hens", episode 2 of the third season of Black Books, the television comedy series about a dysfunctional bookshop owner, played by Dylan Moran.^[25] Then, in April of the same year, he took the part of Tom Dawson in the fifth episode of the Carlton Television production, Murder in Suburbia, in which Gwyneth Strong played his mother Pat.^[26] Finally in 2004, he provided the voice of Xath in the English version of the animated puppet fantasy Strings, co-produced by Birdpic Limited in association with Scandinavian partnerships.^[27]

In June 2008, Golding appeared in the BBC3 TV documentary "Child Stars", featuring three promising youngsters with outstanding talent and ambition.^[28] However, he has foregone further advancement as an actor to concentrate on a possible tennis career.^[29]

Filmography

• All or Nothing (2002)
• Strings (voice) (2004)
• The Adventures of Greyfriars Bobby (2005)

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Oliver Golding

• Oliver Golding at the Association of Tennis Professionals
• Oliver Golding at the International Tennis Federation
• Oliver Golding's personal website
• Oliver Golding at the Internet Movie Database
• Oliver Golding Interview from ITV Online's Popcorn children's cinema site
• Latest tournaments involving Oliver Golding, from 2007 onwards, at CoreTennis.net