FLORIDA-BOUND REID REGAINS NO. 1 SPOT 

31.03.09

Helensburgh tennis star Gordon Reid has returned to the top 30 of the men's singles world rankings after retaining the North East Wheelchair Tennis Tournament title in Sunderlandon Sunday at the second-British based world ranking event of the 2009 NEC Wheelchair Tennis Tour.

Reid, 17, went to No 30 when theInternational TennisFederation published the new wheelchair tennis world rankings on Monday, having bettered his third seeding to win the ITF 3 Series tournament for the second successive year. Last week's success also sees Reid reclaim the British No 1 ranking from Middlesex's Marc McCarroll.

In the rematch of last year's final Reid met Phillipson, but it was the young Scots opponent that would start much the better, as he won the first eight points to take a 2-0 lead. However, Reid put together two love games of his own to edge ahead3-2 and earned another break to move 5-3 ahead before taking the set.

A closely-fought set saw both players exchange breaks throughout, but neither was able to gain a clear advantage. As the set went in to tie-break, Reid struck first to lead 4-2 before Phillipson hit back to have the first set point. Reid had the first of two match points at 8-7 in the tie-break, but was unable to convert either opportunity and Phillipson kept himself inthe hunt when he converted his fourth set point to force the decider.

Reid made the crucial breakthrough of the final set to lead 4-2 and Phillipson could never draw level again, despite having an advantage point at 4-5 down, with Reid going on to convert his third match point of the contest to prevail 6-4, 6-7(10), 6-4.

"I'm very pleased with my performance because I wasn't feeling great in myself all week, but I'm now looking forward to some Florida sunshine and hopefullythe chance to improve myranking still further," said Reid,currently the world'sNo 1 ranked junior, who was recently named Tennis Scotland's Junior Male Player of the Year.

Reid was unable to add the men's doubles title to his singles success in Sunderland as he and Cazeaudumec were beaten in straight sets by the all-British pairing of Alex Jewitt and Plowman. Derbyshire-based Jewitt and Plowman had already beaten the French top seeds in the semi-finals and completed victory with a6-2, 6-2 win over second seedsReid and Cazeaudumec in the final.

Reid now joins many of Britain's other leading wheelchairplayers in flying to Florida at the end of this week. where he will contest two high-status tournaments in Boca Raton and Pensacola.The ITF 1 SeriesFlorida Opengets underway in Boca Raton next Wednesday (8 April) and Rid will hope for a betterdraw thanlastyear, when he gave world No 5 Maikel Scheffers of the Netherlands considerable problems before going out in the first round.Reid willhope to pick up world rankings points in Boca Raton, while he will be defending secondround points the following week atthe Pensacola Open, which also has ITF 1 Series status.

 

MURRAY NAMED AS TENNIS SCOTLAND PLAYER OF THE YEAR

17.03.09

World number 4 Andy Murray, currently competing at the Indian Wells ATP event in the US, has been named as the Tennis Scotland 'Player of the Year' in the annual awards list announced today.

The Women's main accolade went to Elena Baltacha, the British number 3 who, with a current world ranking of 110, is poised to break into the top hundred in the coming weeks.

The junior titles have been awarded to Helensburgh's Gordon Reid and Joanna Henderson from Aberdeen. Woodend Tennis Club in Glasgow, which celebrates its centenary this year has been recognised as 'Club of the Year' and School of the Year has been awarded to Dunblane High School  where Andy and Jamie Murray were both educated.

The full list of winners is:

PLAYER OF THE YEAR (MALE) Andy Murray (previously Dunblane);

PLAYER OF THE YEAR (FEMALE) Elena Baltacha (previously Newlands)

JUNIOR PLAYER OF THE YEAR (MALE) Gordon Reid (Helensburgh);

JUNIOR PLAYER OF THE YEAR (FEMALE) Joanna Henderson (David Lloyd, Aberdeen);

CLUB OF THE YEAR  Woodend LTC;

COACH OF THE YEAR To be announced at a later date;

PARTICIPATION OF THE YEAR Strathgryffe LTC;

SCHOOL OF THE YEAR Dunblane High School;

SPECIAL AWARD Alice Bell (Thistle);

TEAM OF THE YEAR North of Scotland Men's County Team;

TOURNAMENT OF THE YEAR Grantown-on-Spey;

HONORARY VICE PRESIDENTS AWARD to be announced at a later date.

DISABILITY AWARD Kevin Simpson (Scotstoun);

MIQUEL AWARD Bruce Strachan (Aberdeen), Alice Keddie (NG Monifeith / Tennis Academy)

WILKINSON SWORD TROPHY James Drummond (Whitecraigs)

DR R L ALLAN MEMORIAL TROPHY Emma Devine (Thistle)

 

REID WINS THE DOUBLE IN TARBES

01.02.2009

Scotland's Gordon Reid and Warwickshire's Jordanne Whiley have clinched a British clean sweep of boys' and girls' singles and doubles titles for the second successive year at the Cruyff Foundation International Wheelchair Tennis Junior Masters in Tarbes, France.

Reid retained his boy's singles title on Sunday, beating Dutchman Tom Egberink in straight sets for the second successive year, while earlier in the day Whiley won her third successive girls' singles title after beating Wiltshire's Louise Hunt in the first ever all-British Junior Masters final.

In the boys' singles final, 16-year-old Egberink double-faulted in the first game as Reid established the first break.  Reid had another break point that would have given him a 3-0 lead, but Egberink held on until Reid converted the second of three break points in the seventh game.  The 17-year-old Helensburgh-based World No 1 ranked junior then served out on his first set point.

Egberink double-faulted to hand Reid the first game of the second set.  After the Dutchman had broken back, Reid saved break points in his next four service games, but finally gained the crucial break in the 11th game of the set before serving out for a 6-2, 7-5 victory on his second match point after an hour and 13 minutes.     

Reid partnered fellow Briton Philip Cochrane to win the boy's doubles on Saturday afternoon.  The top seeds beat Egberink and Argentina's Gustavo Fernandez 6-2, 6-4 to give Reid his third successive Junior Masters boys' doubles title, with Cochrane gaining his first after being on the opposite side of the net to Reid in the 2008 final.  

Contested by 12 of the world's leading junior wheelchair tennis players aged 18 and under,  the Junior Masters takes place alongside the final four day of Les Petits As, the prestigious tournament for able-bodied juniors between the ages of 12-14.  Rafael Nadal, Andy Murray, Justine Henin and Lindsay Davenport have all been winners or finalists at Les Petits As as junior players.

 

SPORTSCOTLAND SERVES UP TENNIS INVESTMENT

16.01.2009

Tennis in Scotland is celebrating a fantastic start to 2009 with Andy Murray taking back-to-back titles, Jamie Baker returning to fitness and Gordon Reid confirmed as the world number one junior player in wheelchair tennis. Adding to the New Year cheer, sportscotland today announced an investment package of over £330,000 to develop the sport of tennis in Scotland.

The £334,188 investment will benefit the sport across the board, from increasing participation at grassroots level to supporting the development of the next generation of players who have the potential to succeed on the world stage.Two of the players who will benefit from the funding, Jamie Baker and Gordon Reid, are already making their mark.Jamie Baker, who is in action in the AEGON Pro-Series at Scotstoun, Glasgow this week, returns to the tour after battling illness last year.Jamie was Britain's highest ranked singles player after Andy Murray and is being supported through Tennis Scotland and the Scottish Institute of Sport in a bid to regain his ranking.

In 2007 Gordon Reid became the youngest ever player to take a British senior title and he has gone from strength to strength on the wheelchair tennis circuit, culminating in his selection for the Paralympics in Beijing last year, the youngest tennis player ever selected.Although only 17 years old, Gordon has been set a target of reaching a senior International Tennis Federation (ITF) ranking of 25 for this year and is a real prospect for the Paralympics in 2012.Gordon will be supported in those aspirations by the investment from sportscotland.

Louise Martin CBE, Chair of sportscotland said: "At such an exciting time for Scottish Tennis, there is no shortage of inspiration for aspiring tennis players.Our investment of £334,188 announced today is designed to support Tennis Scotland's development programmes to ensure that up and coming players are given the opportunity to participate in the sport and to develop to their full potential.

"The success of our tennis stars plays a huge part in encouraging more people to take up this exciting and dynamic sport.Andy and Jamie Murray continue to be trailblazers for Scottish Tennis and I wish them all the best of luck for the Australian Open next week."

Chief Executive of Tennis Scotland David Marshall welcomed the investment: "Tennis in Scotland continues to punch above it's weight on the international stage. It is vital that we continue to capitalise on Andy's success, to raise the profile of our sport and the number of people playing in Scotland. Along with theLTA, sportscotland is integralto the continued development of tennis in Scotland and the funding we receive is absolutely crucial in ensuring the sport continues tothrive in Scotland.We thankthem for their continued supportand we look forward to the continuation our long standing and mutually beneficial relationship."

Jamie Baker and doubles partner Chris Eaton will contest the AEGON Pro-Series Men's doubles title today after knocking out the top seeds Colin Fleming and Ken Skupski in the semi-finals.

 

TOP CLASS FIELD AT SCOTSTOUN

08.01.2009

Next week's men's and women's AEGON Pro-Series tournament, the inaugural event in the AEGON Pro-Series tour, will take place at Scotstoun from 11th-18th January.

The men's $15k event includes several familiar names including former British Number 2 Jamie Baker. The Glasgow player, who qualified for the Australian Open in 2008, will be joined in the main draw by Linlithgow's Colin Fleming who has received a wildcard. Also competing is 21-year-old Chris Eaton, who thrilled fans at Wimbledon last year with his first round victory over Boris Pashanski, along with fellow Brits Richard Bloomfield and Dan Evans.

In the women's $10k event, Prestwick's Nicola Slater, who has been playing in the United States recently, has also been awarded a wildcard into the main draw, along with Stirling University teenager Katie Gater. British teenagers Jade Curtis and Naomi Broady have received direct acceptance into the main draw which is headed by France's Stephanie Vongsouthi.

Paul Annacone, Head Men's Tennis Coach at the LTA, said: "The AEGON Pro-Series event in Glasgow will provide some of Britain's best young players with the opportunity to compete on the international stage. This will be the first event of 2009 for the majority of the players so it will be a great chance for them to get their season off to a winning start."

Steve Clode, Marketing Director at Edinburgh-based long term savings company AEGON UK, added: "It's brilliant to see such a strong field of players competing in the first AEGON Pro-Series tournament. As new lead partner of British Tennis our aim is to enable these young players to develop their talent and reach new levels of success in the future."

Qualifying for the event gets underway on Sunday with the main draw commencing on Monday. Daily results, draws and orders of play can be found on www.lta.org.uk/news

From 6th-8th March, hundreds of children will have the opportunity to watch world class tennis for free when the Great Britain versus Ukraine Davis Cup by BNP Paribas tie is staged in Braehead Arena, Renfrewshire. A free place is being offered to kids with every adult ticket purchased for the event. Tickets can be purchased by contacting 0870 444 6062 or www.ticketmaster.co.uk.

For further information contact:

Dave Macdermid -  07710 580148

Sophie Ashcroft  - 07957 959406

 

REID CONFIRMED AS WORLD NO. 1

05.01.2009

Reid is confirmed as World Junior No. 1

Gordon Reid has been confirmed as the World No 1 Junior player in the latest rankings published today by the International Tennis Federation. Reid, 17, from Helensburgh, ended 2008 at No 2 in the International Wheelchair Tennis Junior Ranking behind Frenchman Nicolas Peifer. The International Junior Ranking isarrived at by combining aplayer's senior world ranking points to points won in selected ITF junior events. British Men's No 1 Reid currently has a senior world ranking of No 26. His tally of senior rankings points and his points for winning the 2008 International Wheelchair Tennis Junior Masters in Tarbes, Franceplace him at the top of theJunior Ranking, over 100 points ahead of Dutch 16-year-old Tom Egberink.

Reid returns to Tarbes at the end of this month to defend his boys singles anddoubles titles at the 2009 International Wheelchair Tennis Junior Masters, where he will once again face last year's runner-up Egberink in the boy singles.

"It's great to be at No 1 in your sport at whatever age, but Tom is not that far behind me," said Reid. "I know it's going to be tough to stay there all the way through the year, as I have exams in the summer and quite a few points to defend this season, but I would love to end my final year as a junior at No 1, so we will have to see. My maingoal for now is to get my season off to a good start by defending my titles in Tarbes at the end of the month."

Reid already has the distinctionof being Britain's youngest ever senior National Champions after securing his firstNational titles in 2007 at the ages of 14.Reid finished as runner-up in the National Championships before becoming Britain's youngest ever British Men's No 1 at the end of September after he made his Paralympic Games debut in Beijing.

 

YOUNG SCOTS ENJOY GOOD START TO THE NEW YEAR

05.01.2009

Several Scots youngsters have enjoyed a good start to the New Year with Prestwick's Ross Tiree Wilson, seeded six, winning his first international title with the lifting of the Tennis Europe 12 and under title at Boulogne Bilancourt in Paris.

Katie Gater (Dunblane) won the Girls 18 & Under Winter Grand Prix tournament in Welwyn Garden City, defeating Manisha Chowdry in the final while Arbroath's Jonny O'Mara and Alice Keddie (DL Monifieth) both reached the last four in the 14 & Under Grand Prix in Bolton.

 

LINT RETAINS TITLE

05.01.2009

Johnathan Lints retained his Stewart Milne Group North East Indoor singles title with a faultless display over the weekend at Aberdeen's Westburn Tennis Centre.

The Westhill player dropped just five games in the course of his four matches with American youngster Adam Telatovich, who had earlier dismissed third seed Mike Aitken, running him closest in the last four, losing 3/6, 0/6.

In the final Lints hammered Ben Salomon 6/1, 6/0 although the Nairn player had been impressive in his semi final when he ousted Michael Fleming (Linlithgow), the second seed.

In the women's event last year's runner-up Claire Birnie (RGU) went one better, lifting the trophy after a 6/1, 6/3 success against Morven McCulloch (St. Andrews).

Results :-

MENS SINGLES

1st Round D. Gamblen (Cults) bt S. Zarkow (Rubislaw) 6/1, 6/2; A. Telatovich (Cults) bt K. Beattie (Aberdeen University) 6/1, 6/1; B. Strachan (Rubislaw) bt M. Kay (Cults) 6/3, 6/3; J. Verhaere (Nairn) bt C. Stroebel (DL Aberdeen) 6/2, 6/2; E. Murison (Westhill) bt J. Henderson (Cults) 6/1, 6/0;

2nd Round J. Lints (Westhill) bt Gamblen 6/0, 6/0; Telatovich bt M. Aitken (St. Andrews) 6/1, 6/4; A. Green (Arbroath) bt H. Evans-Jones (Glasgow University) 6/2, 6/0; M. Colvin (Stonehaven) bt S. Anniss (Nairn) 4/6, 6/4, 1/0 (7); Strachan bt A. Ross (Banchory) 7/6 (5), 2/6, 1/0 (7); B. Salomon (Nairn) bt Verhaere 6/1, 6/0; E. Birnie (Cults) bt Murison 6/2, 6/2; M. Fleming (Linlithgow) bt R. Gamblen (Cults) 6/2, 6/3.

Quarter Finals Lints bt Green 6/0, 6/1; Telatovich bt Colvin 6/0, 6/2; Salomon bt Strachan 7/5, 6/3; Fleming bt Birnie 4/6, 6/0, 1/0 (5).

Semi Finals Lints bt Telatovich 6/3, 6/0; Salomon bt Fleming 4/6, 6/3, 1/0 (3).

Final Lints bt Salomon 6/1, 6/0.

WOMENS SINGLES

Quarter Finals C. Birnie (RGU) bt O. Curran (Aboyne) 6/0, 6/2; H. Robinson (Tennis World Middlesbrough) bt J. Dodds (DL Monifieth) 6/1, 6/2; M. McCulloch (St. Andrews) bt E. Hollins (Turriff) 6/0, 6/0; J. Green (Arbroath) bt L.J. Fyfe (Aboyne) 6/0, 6/0.

Semi Finals Birnie bt Robinson 6/4, 6/2; McCulloch bt Green 6/2, 6/3.

Final  Birnie bt McCulloch 6/1, 6/3.

 

EAST OF SCOTLAND LADIES FLY THE FLAG FOR SCOTLAND

29.10.2008

The East of Scotland Ladies 40's squad has qualified for the final of the prestigious LTA National Inter-County event to be played next month. They will meet Devon in the final, and are the only Scottish team to make it through in any of the nine age groups competing.

This is the second time the East Ladies 40's team have reached this final stage since the splitting of the premier division, having been crowned British Champions in 2005. Last year they were runners up to Essex. This year they saw off the challenges of Dorset, Middlesex, Leicestershire, Herts and Yorkshire to reach the final.

The final will take place in Dudley on Saturday 8th November and Captain Rosie Dennis is hoping that they can repeat their success of three years ago, "We are delighted to have reached the final again this year and we are looking forward to playing Devon . We have a great team spirit and being the only Scottish team at the finals is an added incentive to play well."

The East squad comprises Rosie and her Blackhall colleagues Alison Murchie and Jane Russell, along with Dunfermline's Allison Wood.

The finals of the 2008 Inter-County Championships will be played at the Next Generation Club, Pensnett Road, Brierley Hill DY5 3YP on 7 and 8 November. The schedule is as follows:

Friday 7 November

Men 60- Avon v Essex

Men 65- Kent v Surrey

1230 Women 60- Cheshire v Surrey

Women 65- Essex v Kent

Men 70- Essex v Hertfordshire

Saturday 8 November

Women 50- Surrey v Dorset

Men 45- Essex v Lancashire

Women 40- East of Scotland v Devon

Men 55 - Essex v Kent

*Inter county vets tennis is growing and there are currentlyaround 20 age groups teams competing from the four Scottish counties. (7 in East; 9+ in West and at least 2 each in north and south)Inter- county team age groupevents cover 35s to 70s;with national and international events going up to 80s.

More info is available on webs site www.vetstennisgb.org.

 

DAVIS CUP RETURNS TO SCOTLAND

27.10.2008

Hundreds of children will have the opportunity to watch world class tennis for free when the Great Britain versus Ukraine Davis Cup by BNP Paribas tie is held in Braehead Arena, Renfrewshire from 6-8th March 2009. The box office opens today, Monday October 27th at 11am - 0870 444 6062 or www.ticketmaster.co.uk.

The tie is a Euro-Africa Zone Group One quarterfinal tie with the winner going on to compete in the World Group Play-offs in September and the losing nation playing in July to remain in Group One. The staging of the tie in Scotland has been made possible by the support of EventScotland, Renfrewshire Council and the Braehead Arena.

John Lloyd, GB Davis Cup Captain, said: "Home Davis Cup ties are a fantastic opportunity to get behind the team and we will be looking for plenty of support when we take on Ukraine next year. We last played them in 2006 in Odessa which was my first tie as Captain. It was a tough tie and we will certainly not be underestimating them - the support of a passionate crowd in Scotland could well make all the difference.

"2008 was a disappointing year for us particularly when we had worked so hard to get back into the World Group but the focus is now on fighting to get back among the elite nations in 2010 and I can't wait to get started in March."

David Marshall, Tennis Scotland CEO, commented, "It's great news that the Ukraine tie is coming to Scotland and while the match with Serbia two years ago was a fantastic experience, given the increased Scottish presence in the squad since then, this one should be even better.

"Interest in tennis as a sport is on the increase at all levels within the country and having such a high profile event will greatly assist in broadening the base. Between now and March, Tennis Scotland will be working hard to put in place a series of associated events surrounding the tie which will undoubtedly include free coaching in schools in the build up to the tie. This type of initiative is part of our ongoing drive to make tennis accessible to everyone and we must ensure we maximize the opportunities that staging a vital Davis Cup clash at Braehead will bring."

Paul Bush, Chief Operating Officer of EventScotland, said: "We are really looking forward to welcoming Davis Cup tennis back to Scotland next year.

"Some 36 years had passed since Scotland last hosted the Davis Cup before we succeeded in bringing the event to Braehead in 2006, so we are delighted to have been able to attract the elite of British tennis back to Scotland within just two years.

"Next year is proving to be a year in which Scotland will host some of the biggest sporting tournaments in the world with top-class rugby, motorsport, golf and now tennis all destined to be part of an impressive calendar of sporting events across the country."

Renfrewshire Council Leader Derek Mackay said: "I am delighted that this important Davis Cup tie is coming to Renfrewshire. Braehead has proved its worth as a venue for the Davis Cup before and it's great to see top class tennis return there. We are committed to encouraging participation in sport at all levels and this high profile match will boost that goal. Attracting international events to Renfrewshire is also good for tourism and good for our economy."

 

SCOTS DUO BID FOR EURO GLORY

27.10.2008

Edinburgh University and the University of Stirling will be flying the flag for Scotland at next month's second European Collegiate Tennis Association Champions League Finals after successfully coming through the qualifying groups.

The Scottish pair will be joined by reigning champions Montpellier University, Moscow University, University of Montenegro, Leeds Met University, Warsaw University and Bath University at the LTA National Tennis Centre in Roehampton from the 14th to 16th November following the qualifiers staged in France, Scotland, Republic of Ireland and Montenegro.

The ECTA Tennis Champions League, sponsored by Barclays Bank and Tretorn, brings together the top men's and women's tennis teams from across Europe and ECTA Operations Director, former top Scottish player Euan McGinn, commented, "Now that we're in our second year, the event is now starting to command a higher level of interest and commitment from around Europe and complements the European University Sports Association Championships which are being held in Dublin in December. At ECTA, we are determined to raise the profile of European University tennis and to provide high quality playing opportunities for top university players across the continent.

"Interest and support for ECTA has been encouraging - and talks are well advanced with a view to staging the first Ryder Cup style event in 2010 where European players will have the opportunity to take on their US counterparts.

"The standard of University tennis in the UK and across Europe is rising and ECTA has picked up the baton at the right time - these events provide an excellent shop window to help showcase the talent and to encourage growth in the sector."

Running in tandem with the Finals will be the inaugural Barclays ECTA Women's Invitational Event at Loughborough University with players from all over Europe competing, while ECTA has also confirmed that Tretorn will be the official ball supplier for the organisationuntil 2010.

For more information visit www.ectatennis.com.

 

REID BECOMES YOUNGEST BRITISH NO. 1

29.09.2008

After a tough Paralympic Games debut in Beijing, Helensburgh's Gordon Reid is beginning the four-year cycle to what he hopes will be a medal-winning performance in London in 2012 with a new item on his ever-expanding and impressive CV - thatof Britain's youngest ever British Men's No 1 wheelchair tennis player.

Sixteen-year-old Reid, who turns 17 later this week, takes over the mantle of Britain's youngest Men's No 1 from the previous player to have held that distinction - Nottinghamshire 19-year-old David Phillipson. In the wake of the Paralympics, Phillipson has dropped points he won at the 2007 Spanish Open, putting him once place below world No 30 Reid.

"It's a nice way to start the next four year journey to London and to be the youngest British Men's No 1 is quite an honour," said Reid, who had the misfortune of being drawn against world No 2 and reigning Paralympic champion Robin Ammerlaan of the Netherlands for this men's singles first round match in Beijing.

In the event, Reid lost 3-6, 0-6 to Ammerlaan, but was happy with his efforts, especially considering that Ammerlaan lost to world No 1 Shingo Kunieda of Japan by the same score in the Beijing Paralympics men's singles gold medal match.

"I was4-0down in the first,brought it back to 4-3 and was two points away from levelling the first setat 4-4," said Reid."I could seeI had him under pressure and he wasn't quite sure how toplay me, althoughhis experience toldin the end, butit gives me a lot of belief for what I can achieve in the years to come,"added Reid, whose next tournament is in Cardiff in mid-October.

Meanwhile, fellow Scot and fellow Beijing Paralympian Kevin Simpson has also had a recent boost after reaching his highest career singles ranking of No 46. Despite also losing out in three close sets in his first round match in Beijing, Linlithgow-based Simpson also went to a career high the week after the Games as he, too, joins Reid in looking ahead to London 2012.

MT -Tennis Foundation

 

SCOTS FINISH 2ND AT HOME NATIONS INTERNATIONAL

14.09.08

Congratulations to the Scotland squad who came second overall in the Home Nations International played at Roehampton last weekend. The team came second in the 12's, 14's and 18's categories and third in the Seniors.

A full breakdown of results can be found below:

Home Internationals 12u
Home Internationals 14u
Home Internationals 18u
Home Internationals Senior 

 

CALUM BEATS THE BIG BOYS!

05.09.08

Andy Murray is inspiring a new generation of Scottish tennis players - and 10-year-old Calum MacGeoch is one of them. A pupil at the Tennis Academy based at Merchiston School in Edinburgh, he has just won the men's title at Rothiemurchus and Aviemore Club.

The youngster defeated Dave Fidoe 6-3, 6-4 in the singles final and the pair teamed up to win the men's doubles. In the semis, Fidoe defeated world cup skier, Noel Baxter.

Calum has been playing the game for three years and already has his sights on becoming a professional. He says Andy Murray is his hero.

Calum, a former pupil of Deshar Primary School in Boat-of-Garten, has been at the Tennis Academy for a year.

He combines his schooling at Merchiston Castle School with an intensive on-court programme prepared by Tennis Scotland.

He is coached at the academy by South African Marcel du Coudray - who used to work with ATP Tour star Nikolay Davydenko - while Andy's mother, Judy Murray, also has a-hands on role in her position as talent and performance manager for Scotland.

Tennis runs in the MacGeoch family. Calum's older sister - Ailie - finished runner-up in the women's singles final. Losing out 1-6 2-6 to the experienced Amanda Shepherd.

RO - inthewinningzone.com

 

FLEMING AND BIRNIE LIFT GRAND PRIX TITLES

01.09.2008

In a thrilling climax to the Scottish Grand Prix, no. 1 seed Colin Fleming and unseeded Claire Birnie, fought off tough competition to lift the Tennis Scotland Senior Grand Prix titles.

In the men's tournament, Colin Fleming (Linlithgow) met old rival Keith Meisner (Elgin and seeded no. 2) in the final, beating his former Stirling University team mate 6-2, 6-2. Fleming met Alan McDonald and James Drummond in previous rounds and did not drop a game until the final against Meisner.

Meanwhile in the ladies event, unseeded Claire Birnie (RGU / Cults) beat no. 1 seed and last year's winner Caitlin Steel (Western) 6-4 6-4 to set up a meeting with no. 4 seed Katie Gater (Dunblane). Gater had beaten no. 2 seed Henderson (Cults / DL Aberdeen) in the semi-finals to make it through to the final.

In a thrilling final, Birnie dropped the first set 3-6 to Gater, but fought hard to claim the next two 7-5, 6-3 to put her name on the trophy.

For a full breakdown of results, click below.

Scottish Senior Grand Prix Final Results

 

TOP QUALITY FIELD FOR WEEKEND GRAND PRIX

28.08.08

This weekend sees the climax of the Scottish tennis calendar with Whitecraigs in Glasgow hosting the Tennis Scotland Scottish Open Prix, which is open to the top twelve players who have gained the most points from the qualifying tournaments throughout the year.

Linlithgow's Colin Fleming, the former doubles partner of Jamie Murray, is top seed for the men's event, with Elgin's Keith Meisner, seeded number two. Fleming will open his bid for the title against either the host club's James Drummond, who has received a wild card, or Blackhall's Scott Nisbet. Meisner will meet either Dean Little (Dumfries) or Thistle's Euan Bell.

Also taking part are Alan Macdonald (3,Thistle), Ken Wood (4, Dunfermline), James Mckie (Waverley /Tennis Scotland Academy Merchiston), Gary Smith (Newlands), Scott Nicholls (Western) & Stewart Crerar (Thistle).

In the women's event, another wild card, Caitlin Steel (Western) is seeded to face Aberdeen's Joanna Henderson in Sunday's final. 14 year old Joanna goes into the event on the back of a fantastic showing in the British 16 and under Nationals, where she won the doubles and reached the semi-finals of the singles.

First up for Caitlin is either Shona Graham (Kinnoull) or Western's Jamie Smith while Joanna meets Dunblane's Julia Blackwood or Newlands' Christine Lockhart.

The remainder of the women's field comprises Liana Park (3, Dunfermline), Katie Gater (4, Dunblane), Claire Birnie (Cults), Jennifer Green (Arbroath), Morven McCulloch (St Andrews / Tennis Scotland Academy St George's) & Jotie Purba (Western).

Play gets underway at 10 am on Saturday morning with the finals scheduled for 1 pm on Sunday.

HENDERSON WINS NATIONAL TITLE AT BOURNEMOUTH

15.08.08

Joanna Henderson, from Aberdeen, has been crowned National Champion after beating no. 2 Caitlin Hindmarsh 7/6, 6/3 in the final of the U14 Junior National Championships in Bournemouth. A pre-tournament favourite and top seed, Henderson did not drop a set en-route to the final. In the semi-finals, Henderson defeated Norfolk's Pippa Horn 6-0 6-2.

It has been a great competition for Henderson, who teamed up with fellow Scot Morven McCulloch in the Girls' 14U Doubles Final yesterday. The no.1 seeds met Hindmarsh and partner Kyria Dunford, and lost narrowly 5-7 6-2 [10-3].

 

TEAM GB FINISH SECOND AT WORLD JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIPS

11.08.08

Great Britain's girls lost out 2-1 to the United States in the final of the World Junior Championships in the Czech Republic after defeating the favourites Russia in the last four.

Aberdeen's Joanna Henderson lost a marathon singles match 2-6 6-4 6-4 having been firmly in control for the first set and a half. Wimbledon Junior Champion Laura Robson won in straight sets to level the contest before Joanna and Laura were pipped in the doubles, going down 6-4 2-6 4-6.

 

HENDERSON AND ROBSON BEAT RUSSIANS TO MAKE WORLD CUP FINALS

08.08.08

Aberdeen's Joanna Henderson, partnered by Wimbledon Junior Girls champion Laura Robson, won the deciding rubber to beat European champions and overwhelming favourites Russia and reach the final of the World Junior event in Prostejov in the Czech Republic.

The win was even sweeter as the British girls lost to the Russians in February in the final of the European Winter Cup competition in the deciding doubles.

The Russians took the early initiative as Yulia Putinetsva beat Jessica Ren 7-6 6-2. Then in an epic match, current Wimbledon Junior Champion defeated Russian no.1 Daria Gavrilova 6-3 6-7 6-2.

The deciding doubles match lasted over 2 1/2 hours. Laura and Joanna Henderson lost the first set in a tie break but fought back to take the 2nd set 6-3. They kept the momentum going and held their nerve to beat the recently crowned European doubles champions 6-4 in the 3rd set. GB will now meet the USA in the final on Saturday.

 

HENDERSON GOING FOR GOLD IN CZECH REPUBLIC

06.08.08
Aberdeen tennis star Joanna Henderson is preparing to team up with Wimbledon junior champion Laura Robson in the semi-finals of the World Junior Tennis Finals in the Czech Republic tomorrow, when they will face a strong team from Russia.

Along with Jessica Ren (Yorkshire), Joanna and Laura (Middlesex) are representing Britain in a group which also includes Australia, Tunisia and Bolivia.

A total of 16 teams are taking part in the event, being held in Prostejov, which has never been won by the GB girls team.

Matches started on Monday and having been seeded fourth, the GB girls have eased through theirround-robingroups without losing a match.

They played their final group match against Bolivia earlier today and have won both singles matches.

Joanna and Laura were also playing the dead doubles rubber today.

Tomorrow they will face a very strong Russian team in the semi-finals.

The British girls lost to the Russians in February in the final of the European Winter Cup competition in the deciding doubles rubber, so they hope to go one better tomorrow.

 

WHAT'S THIS RACQUET?

25.07.08 - By Dave Macdermid

It's a question that crops up like clockwork with the onset of the grass court season and one which, to date, it has been not easy to respond to with a definitive answer, but when the inevitable barrage of 'what is being done to produce the next Andy Murray?' queries are being volleyed from all directions over the past few weeks, a close look at what is happening in Scottish tennis reveals a relatively healthy state of affairs.

With Jamie Baker, despite his unfortunate illness from which he has now thankfully recovered, continuing to make progress up the ATP rankings, Jamie Murray excelling on the doubles tour, and junior grand slam winner Graeme Dyce having completed the first year of his scholarship at the University of Kentucky, the senior landscape is as strong as it ever has been. But what of those who are demonstrating tremendous potential but for whom stepping out on Centre Court at Wimbledon is something that can only be dreamt about and still several years down the road?

Nobody in the sport in this country is in a better position to assess the current crop of juniors than Tennis Scotland's National Coach Ellinore Lightbody. And the good news is that Ellinore is really excited about the quality of our youngsters and the prospects for the game in the years to come. "There is no doubt whatsoever that we have several players with the ability and character to really make their mark in the future and without getting complacent in any shape or form, I can confidently state that, at the top end of the junior game, Scotland is right up there."

Of course the transition from promising junior to being established within the senior game is one of monumental proportions and one that requires substantially more than simply raw talent, as Judy Murray explains. "My role is to identify and develop players in the 8 to 12 age band. We are performing pretty well at GB level with national champions in 12 and under girls and 10 and under boys and girls at the recent LTA clay court events.

"From the end of this month there will be three new Tennis Scotland staff specifically looking to create additional training and competitive opportunities for 6 to 9 year olds. This should significantly increase the numbers of kids playing tennis and consequently give us a bigger talent pool.

"The number of performance players in Scotland is currently very small but we have proved we can do a good job with the few we have, up to the age of 12-13. Beyond that age, when the international level players need a competitive training environment and access to a variety of court surfaces and committed sparring partners, we still need to look outside the country.

"While ultimately it is our aim to establish an international training base in Scotland, we need to significantly increase the numbers of players first and, just as importantly, develop more performance coaches."

Behind the scenes, the winds of change are also prevalent within the corridors of Tennis Scotland. A new board of directors, leaner and more in keeping with the commercial requirements of the 21st century, has greatly speeded up the decision making process while additional resources have been in the operations team who are pivotal in both developing the game at all levels and identifying talented youngsters. Heading that revolution is Chief Executive David Marshall. "It's a challenging but very exciting time for the sport and while a huge level of hard work has already taken place to get where we are today, there is so much still to do.

"It's all about raising the bar and getting more people to take up the game. Having role models such as Andy Murray helps to achieve just that and initiatives such as our series of tennis festivals, supported by Dow Chemicals and The Stewart Milne Group, give boys and girls the opportunity to receive free coaching and help the links between our clubs and our schools.

"The more people we have participating in the game of tennis in Scotland, the greater the chances of discovering the next potential star of the future. However, if we are actually to achieve the numbers playing that we would ultimately wish for, we would then have a real issue in terms of the lack of facilities. Of the nine districts in Scotland, three have no indoor facilities and that, quite frankly, is unacceptable, given the vagaries of our climate."

 

LIFE BEGINS AT 80 FOR CHAMPION JUNE!June

Turning 80 is, in itself, quite an accomplishment, however, one north-east lady has marked the occasion by winning her first ever tennis tournament!

June Marr was competing in a Westburn Tennis Centre social event, just 11 days ahead of her 80th birthday, where she fought off stiff competition from six other couples with her doubles partner, local coach Chris Hodsden, to win the competition.

The tournament was run on a timed basis and June and Chris battled hard against competition from the likes of Claire Birnie, the Scottish Indoor Champion and Cults first team player, Adam Telatovich, before being crowned as the champions.

June was encouraged to take up the sport by friend Sheila Mackenzie after the passing of her husband 15 years ago. She has been receiving weekly coaching which has resulted in all areas of her game improving, particularly from a tactical perspective."

June said: "It was great to have my first taste of success and even better as it came just shy of my 80th birthday.

"I took up tennis mainly for the enjoyment factor, but also to get some exercise and to socialise and meet new people. So far I have done all these things and I have no plan to stop in the foreseeable future."

June has been a regular at the Westburn Tennis Centre ever since she attended an open day back in 1994, where she had the pleasure of meeting Sir Cliff Richard. She has been attending twice weekly 'Westburn Masters' (classes for 50+) classes up until a recent injury ruled her out for 3 months.

Westburn Masters class is open to players wanting to find a social tennis group for mature players of various standards, iuncluding doubles play, coaching and demonstrations led by resident coach and British Veterans Champion Jimmy Wood.

Classes are every Monday and Wednesday at 2-4pm and places can be booked by calling the Westburn Tennis Centre on 01224 625 342.