DAPHNE, Ala. (WKRG) — Vera Pantovic will serve it up against competitors from eight other southern states in this year's Ozaki Cup in Rome, Georgia.

The tournament is hosted by the United States Tennis Association and hosts the top three boys and girls from various age groups.

That's how 11-year-old Vera Pantovic found herself in the Under 12 team lineup.

"They just pick the top three, and then you just go over there and play," she explained to News 5.

Becoming one of the top three 11-year-old tennis players in the state of Alabama doesn't just happen overnight.

"I started in my backyard whenever I was like three or four, and then I started playing on real tennis courts whenever I was six," Vera recalled. "Then I started playing here [Daphne Tennis and Pickleball Complex], and I've be

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