Susan Hughes is the top hope of home success at the Bank of Scotland International Championships at Glasgow’s Kelvin Hall, and the No.2 seed in women’s singles reckons she has a point to prove. 

The 26-year-old proved she was world-class when two years ago when she claimed a bronze medal at the Commonwealth Games – but she then suffered a big blow when she failed to make the Olympic Games.

But after a summer of hard work she has already reached finals of tournaments in Belgium and Bulgaria this season.

“I’m delighted that the hard work has paid off so quickly, and I really hope I can do well this week,” said Hughes, ranked No.31 in the world. “I lost in the first round last year and want to do much better. 

“I also lost my GB funding earlier this year after I refused to move down to the National Training Centre at  Milton Keynes. It would be nice to prove that I can still do well based in Scotland.”

Hughes has a bye through the first round and opens her account against Canada’s Daphnee Laliberte. The top seed is an old rival in Elizabeth Cann. Hughes beat the English player in the Commonwealth medal play-off, but lost when they last met more than a year ago.

Kieran Merrilees, the Scottish teenage hope who has moved to Milton Keynes, opens his against fellow-Scot, 17-year-old Paul Van Rietvelde, who has been promoted from the qualifying event following  a number of late withdrawals.