Former British number one Chris Wilkinson watches two home grown stars come good in the pressure-cooker atmosphere of Wimbledon.

AS A youngster Jamie Delgado was tipped as the great saviour of British tennis when he won the under-14 junior Orange Bowl Championships - which is the world junior Championship.

Everything was thrust in his direction - sponsorship, finances, team selections etc. Everyone assumed that he would go on to great things.

Unfortunately for him, his progress did not materialise as everyone was hoping.

It's always a difficult task transferring from a junior to a senior player and so often, with the British players, this is their downfall.

So often the players and their coaches are so concerned with getting junior titles that they lose sight of the future. It's really all about the future years and how well you do as a senior. So, in my opinion, the players need to get as much experience in the senior game as possible. .

This, I fear, may have been one of the factors affecting the game of Jamie Delgado.

So it was great to see him, now at the age of 24, playing one of his most mature matches in beating Andrei Medvedev in three straight sets in the first round at Wimbledon yesterday.

When it comes to natural talent, there are not many players who can compete on the same level as Delgado. During this match, he seemed to have the knack of hitting the right shots at the right time and concentrated as well as anyone.

Unfortunately for him, he now meets the number two seed, Andre Agassi.

Daunting though it may seem, he has to go out with the attitude that he has nothing to lose and try to enjoy every moment. I'm sure before the match he will be very nervous - but it's important to concentrate on your own game and block out the fact that your opponent is Andre Agassi.

Sticking to the British theme, Arvind Parmar certainly provided everyone with great entertainment. His match had more twists than an Agatha Christie movie.

At one stage he was down and out, suffering from cramp. He could hardly move and at match point down, literally closed his eyes and hit a second service ace. This totally destroyed the mentality of his opponent, Andre Sa and Parmar then went on to win the final set.

Tennis is not only about the technical, tactical and physical side but a big part is how well you cope mentally.

So often you feel that every match is an emotional rollercoaster and the player who can control his mind the best will usually go on and win the match.

Arvind Parmar - certainly at the end of the match - found the right mental approach and willpower and defied all the odds by winning through.