Ms Sugden who has followed the career of Federer for years said it was the experience of a lifetime when she met her hero after a practice session at the Brisbane International Tennis Tournament.

“I’ve been a fan of his for a long  time, so to meet him was amazing,” she said.

Ms Sugden and her mother Janine tried to get close to Federer on Monday at one of his practice sessions.

“But there were just so many people - we were in the sun for two-and-a-half-hours and it was impossible to get close.”

However on Tuesday, Ms Sugden who lined up again to try and see her hero, was spotted by a security guard.

“Another lady who was a fan seemed to know the best place to go near the barricade where she told us to wait.

“Then the security guard came over to mum and I and just took us through,” she said.

With a reputation for being generous with his fans, Federer didn’t disappoint, according to Ms Sugden.

“He was so lovely and wished me happy new year.

“A lot of the other players just walk off after their sessions, but he seems genuinely appreciative of the support of his fans,” she said.

Ms Sugden says when she returns from Brisbane she will continue with her passion for tennis. “I will be in front of the TV watching the Sydney competition and then the Australian Open in Melbourne ,” she said.

Then she says she will be ready to concentrate on completing her PhD on perspective memory and attend an overseas conference on the subject.