Tennis: McCulloch calmly takes first steps into pro ranks

Published on Wednesday 6 May 2009 10:20

FOR Edinburgh-trained tennis prospect Morven McCulloch there might never be a match quite like that which saw her slip smoothly into the AEGON Pro-Series tournament at Craiglockhart.

Never mind the blustery gale or even an exasperated opponent who caused an adjournment to retrieve a discarded racket propelled over netting and wind-breaks into the adjacent shrubbery.

This was McCulloch's professional debut and, aged 15, she took any inevitable nerves all in her stride to win 6-1, 6-3 against Adeta Raca from England, and justify a wild-card. She followed it up with a 6-2, 6-4 victory over Jodie Kinnon from Hampshire to qualify for today's first round.

Regardless of how the rest of the tournament taking place until Sunday might unfold for her, she has already made an impression.

To make further projections would be risky, especially given that by the time contemporary Laura Robson had celebrated her 15th birthday she had claimed the Wimbledon junior title and won a dedicated sponsor.

But allowing for the fact that there is something in McCulloch's mature attitude that reflects well on the relatively new Scottish Tennis Academy which the St Andrews-reared girl attends in the Capital, maybe, just maybe, a female Andy Murray might be on the horizon.

For starters, there is a well-rounded game featuring a deft touch but mainly net attacks based on heavy, pressurising, sliced ground shots in the face of which Raca eventually crumbled.

Only the most determined succeed in this environment, though, and attitude is key; when Ms Raca invited McCulloch round the net to examine marks on the clay signifying a ball out of court (competitors make their own line calls at this stage) there was merely a shrug of acceptance.

Apparently this has not always been the case... "My temperament has got a lot better over the last few months, " said McCulloch when we sat down to review the debut. Alongside her, Marcel de Coudray, a former Mauritius Davis Cup player who heads the Scottish Tennis Academy, agreed: "Morven handled herself well on a day when the conditions made it impossible to play your best tennis. Morven has improved psychologically in the same way Andy Murray has become an even better role model."

It is the cue to ask McCulloch of plans to emulate Murray.

"I'd like to play grand slams but I've got to build confidence then take it step by step."

As a junior, Murray succeeded by going to Spain and counterpart Emma Devine is at a Belgium academy and good luck to her.

But a totally home-grown prospect?

Du Coudray is optimistic: "We've doubled our size in two years and attract interest as far afield as Germany. Scottish tennis is booming," he said on a day when Murray became the first Briton ever to go as high as No.3 in the world rankings.

BRAID RIDING HIGH GOING INTO CUP SEMI-FINAL TIE AGAINST SAINTS

BRAID will go into tonight's regional semi-final of the Aegon Scottish men's tennis cup away to St Serf's as early leaders of Dunlop East League division one, writes BILL LOTHIAN.

But Braid's progress suffered a first hiccup on Monday at Dean, who visit Thistle in tonight's other cup semi-final.

In a 6-6 draw, Braid were indebted to Gary Melville and Euan Forbes fighting back from 2-5 and saving several set-points before edging out Steve Birrell and Graeme Robson in a tie-break on the way to a halved match.

However, that draw was still sufficient to keep Braid top after David Lloyd inflicted a 7-5 defeat on Thistle who had earlier won their opening two matches without dropping a set.

After two rounds of the women's league, David Lloyd and Dunfermline are the only unbeaten teams.