Edinburgh’s Jillie Cooper, who won the women’s doubles at the Bank of Scotland International Championships in Glasgow in November, will be out for a home win double at the weekend’s Yonex Dunfermline Championships. 

Now part of the GB programme, the annual tournament at the Bruce Street Hall has attracted its best ever entry, including England’s Elizabeth Cann, who won the Bank of Scotland women’s singles.

Cann has edged one place ahead of Glasgow’s Susan Hughes at No. 27 in the world rankings – and it should be an intriguing match if they justify their seedings and meet in the final. 

Hughes was the victor when they clashed in the bronze medal play-off at the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Australia – but Cann won the last meeting. 

Cooper, with the 2012 Olympic Games in London already on her mind, is one of Scotland’s fast-rising stars, and she is aiming to win both the women’s doubles, with England’s Mariana Agathangelou and the mixed with Renfrew’s Watson Briggs. 

The 20-year-old achieved the double at the Welsh International Championships last month, and she said:  “Winning in front of a home crowd in Glasgow was so special and it is nice to start the year in Dunfermline.

“I’ve also got the Swedish Open this month and then there are the Scottish National Championships, which will be very important.”

Kieran Merrilees, the 19-year-old full-timer, is another Scot who is gearing up for an important year and he is the No.2 seed in the men’s singles behind England’s Carl Baxter.