Tennis scholar Liam Hignett wins world silver medal

University of Stirling tennis scholar Liam Hignett has won a silver medal with Great Britain at the “world event of university tennis”, the Master’U BNP Paribas.

Hignett was one of six players who lined up for Team GB Students at the prestigious competition in Cormontreuil, Reims in France.

Team GB saw off the challenge of Belgium in the first round, before playing a close-fought match with Australia in the semi-final – eventually qualifying for the final after Hignett and his mixed doubles partner Esther Adeshina won a final set tie-break. However, in a repeat of last year’s final, Team GB were unable to see off the challenge of their American opponents, losing 4-1.

Posting on Instagram Hignett – making his debut at the competition – said: “What a week with Team GB at the Master’U BNP Paribas, taking home the silver medal! So grateful to be a part of this team!”

Team spirit

GB Students team captain Alistair Higham said: “We’re proud to win a seventh consecutive medal at the Master’U. The team spirit was terrific and pulled us through for a second year in the tightest of matches that went to the wire against Australia in the semi-final.”

Hignett, from Basingstoke, Hampshire, was the British Universities and Colleges Sport (BUCS) National champion for 2023/24. He went into the tournament in fine form, having just won the BUCS Doubles event with Stirling stablemate Rob Cowley. Hignett was selected for Team GB alongside Adeshina (University of Tennessee), James Story (University of South Carolina), Finn Bass (Baylor University), Millie Rajecki (North Carolina State) and Eliz Maloney (Loughborough University).

Team GB beat Belgium 7-0 in the first round, with singles wins for Bass, Maloney, Story and Rajecki, and wins in the men’s doubles (Bass/Story), women’s doubles (Adeshina/Rajecki) and mixed doubles (Adesina/Hignett).

In the semi-final, Story and Bass won their singles matches, and Adeshina and Rajecki their women’s doubles match. It was 3-3 going into the final game of the day – the mixed doubles, which saw Adeshina and Hignett face a tight, winner-takes-all encounter against their Australian opponents. Team GB won the first set 6-4, with Australia taking the second 6-3. The game went to a tie break and the British duo dug deep to win 10-7 – sending Team GB into the final against Team USA.

Despite impressive performances from Great Britain, they were unable to see off the challenge of the Americans – and eventually lost 4-1.

Proud

David Bond, Head of Performance Sport at the University of Stirling, said: “Congratulations to Team GB Students on their silver medal at the Master’U BNP Paribas – it’s a fantastic achievement. We are very proud of Liam’s performances in France and wish him all the best for the rest of the season.”

The Master’U BNP Paribas – now in its 17^th year – sees students from Great Britain take on Germany, Australia, Belgium, the United States, France, Ireland and Switzerland in a knockout tournament. The competition is managed by the French University Sport Federation and the French Tennis Federation, in partnership with multinational bank BNP Paribas. The British team is supported by BUCS and the Lawn Tennis Association.

University of Stirling – Scotland’s University for Sporting Excellence – has a rich history at the championships, with former scholars Jonny O’Mara and Maia Lumsden winning gold in Lille in 2017, and Lumsden also taking silver in 2018 and 2019.

The University of Stirling has one of the largest high-performance programmes in the UK – offering athletes funding support, academic flexibility, access to world-class facilities and coaching, equipment and kit. Core sports include tennis, swimming, golf, football, triathlon, rugby and curling. Visit our website for more information on our International Sports Scholarship Programme.