Hot Edinburgh tennis prospects who have underlined their potential

Hanna Augustynska confirmed her growing stature as one of Scotland’s hottest tennis prospects by winning the women’s singles title at the Edinburgh Open.

The unseeded 14-year-old, who has connections to both the Craigmillar Park and Thistle clubs, defeated Lucy Beeston 6-3, 6-1 after an impressive run to the final. The tournament was previously called the Waverley Open and was played this year at Craiglockhart Tennis Centre.

Euan McIntosh, from Blackhall, claimed both singles and doubles titles on the men’s side. He delivered an imperious performance in the singles without dropping a set and defeated Lance Nisbet of Colinton in the final before pairing up with his opponent to overcome top seeds Tim Weir and Euan Bell from the Thistle club in the doubles finals.

Both Augustynska and McIntosh, the defending champion, will be strongly fancied for the Baillie Gifford East Open which is played over two weekends at Craiglockhart, starting from May 18 and finishing on May 28.

Hanna Augustynska, 14, won the women’s singles title at the Edinburgh Open

Another local player on the rise is Scott Duncan, who is expected to climb to 243 on the ATP world doubles rankings next week after partnering Marcus Willis to a sixth title. The pair have just won an ITF tournament in Nottingham.

At the start of this year Scott was ranked 355 – and he is registered to play for his home Barnton Park club in the VMH Solicitors East Leagues when available.

Tennis Scotland tour

Meanwhile, Tennis Scotland has announced a significant new prize for players on Scotland’s national tennis tour. In addition to increased prize money being invested into the TS Open Tour, which features the East Open, the men’s and women’s players who finish top of the leaderboards following the 19-event circuit will each be rewarded with a £1,000 bonus ahead of the end-of-season TS Open Tour Finals.

Euan McIntosh, from Blackhall, claimed both titles on the men’s side. Picture: Rob Eyton-Jones

Currently Euan McIntosh sits fifth on the men's rankings three places ahead of Lance Nisbet while among the women Annique Vardy, who plays out of Blackhall but represents the North, lies fourth. This increased prize money will reward players for commitment to the tour and consistent performances throughout the year.

The TS Open Tour has been created by Tennis Scotland, in partnership with clubs and organisers, to encourage player development and raise levels of play. The 2023 circuit has been enhanced with significant investment, via sponsorship, with increased prize pots of up to £7600 at some events.

Players take part in men’s and women’s singles tournaments across the country throughout the year, earning ranking points based on their performances, which are then collated into leaderboards. After the final tour event – the Scottish National Championships in November – the men’s and women’s players with the most ranking points will each be awarded £1,000.

The top 16 players on each leaderboard will then take part in the two-day TS Open Tour Finals in December, where they will compete for a prize pot of £10,000 and the coveted Sword trophies, named in memory of former Scottish internationalists Derek and Allan Sword.

Tennis Scotland chief executive Blane Dodds said: “We are delighted to offer a bonus cash prize for the men’s and women’s players who finish top of the TS Open Tour leaderboards. Thanks to sponsorship, which we are most grateful for, increased prize pots at some events are helping to attract more players to compete in Scotland’s national tennis tour and also helping our young pro players earn much-needed income to support their competition schedule.”