A GIRL from Croatia who could one day win Wimbledon for Britain is fighting deportation with the support of the Lawn Tennis Association.

Sabrina Bamburac, who is ten and came to this country five years ago with her parents, Stevo and Branka, settling in Newcastle upon Tyne, is thought to have the potential to become the saviour of British women’s tennis. The family’s claim for asylum has been rejected by the Home Office now that peace has returned to Croatia.

Sabrina’s promise on the tennis court will form a crucial part of their appeal against deportation, to be lodged next week. In a statement issued to support the appeal for asylum the Lawn Tennis Association said: “Sabrina Bamburac is considered to be one of the most talented tennis-players in her age group. She has demonstrated serious dedication by travelling nationally and internationally to compete and is considered one of the brightest prospects,” the statement read.

Chris Sanderson, the association’s Northumberland development coach, said: “We would love to have Sabrina representing British tennis as a British citizen.” It would be a tragedy for British tennis were Sabrina and her family to be deported, Mr Sanderson said.

“She is an absolutely fabulous talent and everyone who has been involved in coaching her realises her enormous potential. We have so few really bright tennis stars in this country that to deport a girl with her talent would be a tremendous shame,” Mr Sanderson said.

The highest internationally ranked British woman player is Anne Keothavong, 19, placed at 150 by the Women’s Tennis Association.

Mrs Bamburac said: “Our application hasn’t been looked at until now. It has taken five years, and now things have changed in Croatia they are sending us back.

“Sabrina is an excellent tennis-player and we have so much hope for her. She wants to play at Wimbledon one day and she’s getting the best training here.”

Mr Bamburac, 33, faces a prison sentence if he returns to Croatia because having fled the country he avoided military service. He said: “Our family will be split up and I will have to go to jail for many years,” he said. “We are good people who just want to do the right thing for Sabrina.”

His daughter’s coach, John Henderson, said: “Sabrina’s talent is incredible. I have been a coach for 12 years and to get the combination of talent, work rate and desire is very rare. We feel she has the ability to go a long way and she could be a British star if she got British citizenship.”

Thousands of local people have signed a petition organised by the parents of Sabrina’s classmates. Her head teacher, Pauline Summerhill, said: “Sabrina is a wonderful pupil. She came to us five years ago with no English and new to this country and she is very popular among the pupils here.”

The family’s MP, the former Cabinet minister Nick Brown, is supporting the campaign to keep the Bamburacs in Britain. Addressing a recent meeting at the school, he agreed to forward the petition to the Home Office and said that he would look into the possibility of calling a Commons debate.

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