Lee Terceira, one of Bermuda’s rising tennis stars, continues to make waves after winning the girls 12 and under division at the United States Tennis Association Level 6 Boca Downtown Midsummer Day’s Dream in Florida on Sunday.

Terceira defeated Kamryn Ali, from Pinecrest, Florida, in straight sets, 6-3, 6-1 at Boca Raton Tennis Centre.

After receiving a bye in the round of 16, Terceira was victorious 6-3, 6-2 over Adhara Palacios, from Port Saint Lucie, Florida, in the quarter-finals. In the semi-finals, the Bermudian came out best in a bruising encounter with Keira Braudo, of Canada, which she won 7-5, 7-6.

“I can see my strengths improving a lot and they’ve definitely helped me during the course of these weeks,” Terceira said.

“I can see a lot of improvement and I’m excited to come back. I’d like to thank my parents for supporting me.”

It is the third success for the 12-year-old in America this year. The Warwick Academy student won the under-12 girls division at the Level 5 United States Tennis Association Miami Open in February, before she clinched the girls 12 and under singles at the Emilio Sanchez Academy USTA Level 6 Tournament in Naples, Florida, this month.

Ricky Mallory, the Bermuda Lawn Tennis Association's national tennis director, praised the youngster’s parents for investing in her career.

“We are all very excited about the progress Lee has made,” Mallory said.

“One of her greatest strengths is the excellent support system she has in her parents, which is a vital part of her continued development.

“I have been working with Lee for almost a year. I met with both Lee and her parents to outline my expectations, the level of commitment required and what the training process would involve.

“We also discussed the importance of trusting the process, understanding that there will inevitably be challenging days.

“During those times, she will need to remain resilient, push through adversity and continue working towards her long-term goals.”

In an effort to sharpen her game, Mallory suggested that Terceira makes the trip to Florida to work with Jhonny Berrido, Coco Gauff’s former coach.

“Given Bermuda’s limited player pool, it is difficult to consistently provide the level of competition needed for her continued growth,” the BLTA national tennis director said.

“For that reason, I strongly recommended that she travels this summer to compete in USTA junior tournaments while also training with coach Jhonny Berrido in Florida.

“This is the same facility where I have sent members of our Bermuda Davis Cup team to train.

“It is a smaller, high-performance environment where each training session is tailored to the individual player’s specific needs, allowing for focused technical and tactical development. That personalised approach is one of the reasons I value the programme so highly.”