STIRLING TENNIS SCHOLARS COMPETE AT ROLAND GARROS.
Tennis scholarship students from the University set out to Roland-Garros to compete on the French-Open court, supported by Vision Outsourcing LTD. The four players from the University defended their title as the European Clay Court Champions at the venue for the French Open.
The Stirling team was made up of students from the International Sports Scholarship Programme: Postgraduate Nick Hatchett and Undergraduates Aimee Black, Julie Dalgetty and fresher Adam Stevenson.
The captain, Jamie MacDonald, who wasn’t playing, led the team through the tournament where they met players representing universities from across Europe. Stirling faced the University of Zurich and University College Dublin in the group stages, then defeated hosts HEC Paris to finish third overall.
Nick, the University’s Tennis Co-ordinator, said: “It was a fantastic experience to be able to play at Roland-Garros and we actually got to play on clay courts underground too which were amazing. It is the best clay in the world and different to any surface I’ve ever played on. It was a bit slower than the courts at Stirling which meant longer rallies.”
“We were disappointed not to win the tournament and defend the title as we had the players capable of doing that, but it is brilliant to compete against other students from across Europe and there should be more tournaments just like it.”
Back in Scotland, recently recruited Nicolas Rosenzweig, lived up to his No.1 billing at the AEGON British Tour Prestwick, winning the tournament without dropping a set. His Stirling team-mate Joe Gill reached the semi-finals.
Stirling’s tennis courts are open to the community and classes are run for children and adults. Find out more at: www.sportingexcellence.stir.
