University of Stirling tennis scholars proved to be a smash at the recent Scottish Indoor Tennis Championships, taking all three hard-fought titles.
Five students from Scotland’s University of Sporting Excellence reached the finals of the annual competition at Newlands Lawn Tennis Club.
Scott Duncan who held the top seed on entering the championships, won the men’s singles title in straight sets. And in the women’s singles it was Stirling scholar Patricia Skowronski who smashed her way to victory.
Reuben Henry and Sam MacNeil proved to be an unbeatable duo in the men’s doubles, easing past their opponents to reach the final and beat their top-seeded Stirling colleagues Scott Duncan and Scott Macauley to eventually lift the title.
Stirling tennis scholar Scott Duncan said: “I’ve managed to make this final four years in a row so for me to take the title this time was a proud achievement.
“It was also great to see Patricia lift the women’s title and see Stirling do so well across the board at what is arguably the biggest tournament in Scotland operating at this level. We’ve been able to show our skill as a team and represent the University on the national stage.”
Raleigh Gowrie, Sports Performance Manager at the University of Stirling, said: “These results are notable achievements for our tennis scholars. They outline the University’s central position supporting performance tennis in Scotland over the last 20 years.
“This latest success reflects the discipline and endeavour that our players and their coaches give to the sport and it’s great to see it pay off. I am sure these young players will use the victories to help them further enhance their focus and take their game to the next level.”
Three of the victorious players are part of Scotland's national sports scholarship programme, Winning Students, which supports talented young students to compete in high performance sport.
Notes for editors
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Media enquiries to Corrie Campbell, Communications Officer on 01786 466 169 or c.r.campbell@stir.ac.uk.
Scotland’s University for Sporting Excellence
The Scottish Government designated the University of Stirling as Scotland’s University for Sporting Excellence in 2008. Our mission is to deliver the best for Scottish sport through the powerful and inspirational combination of sport and education. We are at the heart of Scottish sport, preparing athletes to perform on the world stage, enabling students to develop their skill sets for excellent careers and producing innovative research to improve the health of the nation. Our sport-centred campus brings together the people shaping Scottish sport, creating a critical mass of sporting expertise and excellence.
Find out more at:www.stir.ac.uk/sport-at-stirling.