KINGSTON teenager Zoe Hives is a national tennis champion after claiming victory against Sara Tomic in the final of the Optus Spring Nationals 14/under girls’ singles yesterday.In what has been an eventful school-holiday break for the Mount Clear Secondary College student, the 14-year-old defeated the younger sister of grand slam star Bernard Tomic in a tie-break, cementing her ‘one-to-watch’ status.“I was just happy to get through it,” she said, speaking on the phone from Sydney yesterday.“I was probably a bit nervous playing Sara Tomic but I knew I’d go well if I played well.“It’s been an experience.”One of the first things the teenager did after the match was break the good news to her family back in Kingston.“They were pretty proud of me and happy,” she said.“I’ve just got to keep on doing what I’m doing.”Hives, who has improved her ranking by about 200 places in the last 12 months alone, pulled off the win despite being struck down with illness only a week before.Although the teen started to tire in the second half of the match, she kept her composure to pull off a decisive win in the tie-break.Her coach Peter Joyce, from Ballarat Regional Tennis Centre, said the win was “just sensational.”He said Hives reminded him of another talented and down-to earth country girl – Samantha Stosur.“(Hives) is a very similar down-to-earth girl from Kingston,” he said.“I think she just has something a little bit special. We’ve been planning this for a long time. ‘‘It’s just another step in her journey.”Her mother Jan Hives said the win was exciting, but very well-deserved.“It’s pretty exciting. ‘‘You don’t win nationals every day,” she said.Despite her victory, Hives yesterday had little time to celebrate as she was due to compete in an International Tennis Federation junior competition today.