Sam, 15, and Ben, 13, will compete in the Warrnambool Junior Grasscourt Open, which starts tomorrow and runs until New Year’s Eve.

The Wildes have entered singles and doubles.

Sam will play in the under 16 boys’ section and play doubles alongside fellow Warrnambool talent Curtis Noble.

Ben is entered in the under 14 boys’ section and has teamed up with Warrnambool’s Jeremy Attrill in the doubles.

Both brothers want to make the tournament’s main draw, which is a knockout competition — players who are knocked out early will play consolation games.

Warrnambool’s open is a Tennis Australia Optus Junior Tour silver-ranked event.

The tournament, which is expected to attract 280 players, was previously a gold-ranked event.

The Optus Junior Tour tournaments offer Australian ranking points across five levels — platinum, gold, silver, bronze and white.

Sam has an Australian men’s ranking of 1034 and Ben’s is 1757. 

Sam said Warrnambool becoming a silver event made it harder to boost national ratings.

“You get less points towards your Australian rankings,” Sam said. “It’s just as hard as gold but less value.”

Sam, who plays in Warrnambool Lawn Tennis Club’s open competition on Saturdays, enters the tournament in form.

“I played in Bendigo a few days ago and did all right there,” he said. 

“I got in the main draw. I had to qualify so I did all right.”

Ben also performed well in Bendigo. He made the under 14 boys’ quarter-final in the singles and was runner-up in the doubles.

Judy Wilde said her two sons relished a challenge on the tennis court and enjoyed playing at their home open. 

“Good quality kids come down to this tournament,” she said.

?justine.mc@fairfaxmedia.com.au