STOCKTON sisters Farah and Donia Abdel-Aziz have been selected by the Lawn Tennis Association to join the AEGON FutureStars programme.

The 14 and nine-year-old, who play for Tennis World Middlesbrough, will be two of 420 selected youngsters, whose involvement means they have been recognised as some of the best juniors in the country for their age group.

Steven Martens, Player Director of the LTA, said: “Identifying talent from an early age onwards is crucial for the sport and we’re confident that the 420 young players will demonstrate that we have a wealth of talent across the different age groups on the player pathway.

“Tennis is a sport where skills need to be developed step by step and we hope that each of these AEGON FutureStars will go on to reach their full potential through the support we provide.”

Championing the Durham and Cleveland players selection is former British number one and US Grand Slam runner-up Greg Rusedski, who is the Talent ID Ambassador for the LTA.

“As AEGON FutureStars Farah and Donia have a great opportunity to improve their game and grow within the sport,” said Rusedski.

“Getting the right support when you are young is vital for any keen tennis player, but so too is enjoying the game and I’m hopeful that Farah and Donia have a good combination of both.

The AEGON FutureStars programme recognises tennis players including Donia and Farah Abdel-Aziz as some of the best juniors in the country for their age group As lead partner of British Tennis, life assurance and pensions company AEGON is supporting the sport at all levels, from grass roots to elite performance level.