Tennis: Alice springs to victory ..

Published on Thursday 11 June 2009 10:14

EDINBURGH tennis prospect Alice Keddie is on the way to a rare hat-trick of titles at the prestigious AEGON Spring Clay Court Championships.

The 12-year-old St George's School pupil has returned from Queenswood, Hertfordshire, with the under-14 singles title to add to under-12 honours gained in 2008. In this year's final Alice won 7-5, 6-2 against Oxford's Grace Lymer-Sullivan, whom she later partnered to win the girls' doubles.

"There are only three of these grade one tournaments a year so it was pleasing to win and I'll be back again next year although my plan also includes more competitions at a higher age-group," said Alice, who has already been active on the European circuit with trips to the Czech Republic, Croatia, Italy, Portugal and France.

Marcel du Coudray, head coach at the Scottish tennis academy, which Alice attends, praised the rising star, saying: "Alice is very athletic and moves around the court very well helped by a very good physical training programme from the Institute of Sport."