JULIA Bone will be living a dream when she steps out onto the hallowed turf of Wimbledon.

The High Wycombe tennis player has received a wild card entry for the junior tournament, which starts today, and she can't wait to play her first round match.

She said: "I'll be quite nervous and excited at the same time. It will be tough because I'll be playing someone in the top 50 but I've had some good performances, playing a couple of tournaments.

"I played well last week when I played at Roehampton.

"I beat one girl who was in the top 75 and then I just lost to someone in the top 20. It was 6-4, 7-5 and that was one of the best matches in my life."

The 16-year-old Wycombe High School student had been keeping her fingers crossed that she would be appearing at her first Wimbledon.

She said: "It was 50/50 that I would get it. I was just going on court when I heard. My dad was told and he told me just before the match. I just felt excited."

The draw for the junior tournament has not yet been made, with Bone likely to play either today or on Monday. But she is ready to play in front of a crowd.

She said: "I normally don't get nervous before games and I will be concentrating on myself.

"The crowd will help me but I have to concentrate.

"I just want to do my best. I'd like to win my first round and anything after that will be a bonus."

Bone, who prefers clay courts to grass, has had a successful year since she was awarded the Sir Steve Redgrave Sports Bursar last July.

Her world junior ITF ranking has gone down from 320 to 165 and she won singles titles in Edinburgh and Dubai.

Bone was also a runner-up in Doha and a semi-finalist in Finland and Nottingham, while representing Great Britain in the U16 winter and summer cup teams.