A DUNFERMLINE tennis ace is aiming to serve up success Down Under as she prepares to defend titles at the Australian Open.
Anna McBride, who is a first year student at the University of Stirling, will compete in the women's single and doubles at the tournament's players with intellectual impairments (PWII) event.
The 20-year-old tennis scholar claimed both of those titles at last year's inaugural competition and is aiming for more when play begins tomorrow (Friday).
Anna, who is the top seed, will play Germany's Sophia Schmidt in the first group stage match of the singles, before taking on Australia's Carla Lenarduzzi and Kelly Wren.
She will later team up with Schmidt for the women's doubles, where they will be up against three other pairs to try and claim the title Anna won last year with her Greek-Australian partner, Andriana Petrakis.
Speaking ahead of her opening match, Anna, who is studying a BSc (Hons) Sport and Exercise Science degree, said: "I am both excited and nervous about competing.
"It is an amazing opportunity, and I am most looking forward to competing on the courts and being around the top players."
Reflecting on her experience last year, she continued: "I was a bit overwhelmed as it was my first time, and I had only recovered from Covid a short time beforehand. However, once I got started, it was such a fantastic experience to be in that environment – it was very energetic and inspiring.
"It was an amazing experience being around the best players in the world. I’m feeling more confident this year, now that I know what to expect, and I’m looking forward to defending my titles."
In 2023, in a landmark move for the world’s tennis stars with an intellectual or hearing impairment, the Australian Open became the first slam to hold PWII and deaf or hard of hearing (DHOH) events.
Launched in collaboration with Tennis Australia, the event follows the Open's All Abilities Day, which celebrates diverse opportunities available to all members of the tennis community, and provides a platform and voice for all involved.
Played on hardcourt at Melbourne Park, the women's singles tournament, which has eight entries, begins with a round robin, before moving into a knockout phase, with matches played in a best-of-three tiebreak format.
In the doubles, matches move straight to knockout and are played as best-of-two tiebreak sets, with a deciding match tiebreak played where required.
Anna is supported in Melbourne by her parents, the Lawn Tennis Association's (LTA) disability competitions manager, Sophie Hall, and five team-mates from Team GB.
David Bond, head of performance sport at the University of Stirling, commented: "Anna is a very talented tennis player, and we are incredibly proud of her achievements to date. To be returning to the Australian Open as defending champion in both the singles and doubles events is a highly impressive feat.
"On behalf of everyone at the University, we wish Anna all the best and will be keeping a close eye on her results over the weekend."
The competition ends on Sunday.
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