Glasgow tennis player Jamie Baker is setting his sites on climbing back up the world rankings after a lengthy lay-off from the sport.

After contracting the potentially fatal Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura (ITP), a rare blood condition that affects the immune system, in April of last year, the 23-year-old spent an agonizing spell on the sidelines where a return to the tennis circuit was the last thing on his mind. 

To add insult to illness, he was then afflicted with injury.  Just as Jamie was sufficiently fit to recommence training, a stress fracture to his foot resulted in further postponements of a return to action. 

Prior to his illness Baker was on the cusp of breaking into the world’s top 200 but has now dropped to a ranking of 805.  So he is launching his assault on the rankings once again. 

That run starts next week in Thailand with the first of three back-to-back $10k Futures events before Jamie heads to Australia for two $15k events in Darwin and two more in Adelaide, before returning to Britain in mid-October. 

“I’ve a fairly hectic schedule over the couple of months and, although I’ve played around a dozen matches since I’ve come back, this will be my first proper run of competitive play.

 “It’s going to take around thirty competitive matches before I’ll start thinking about the results so right now I’ve no real short term targets other than getting up to full match fitness. 

“I feel optimistic and although it can be a bit depressing losing to guys I know I’m better than, realistically it will be an eighteen to twenty-four month journey back to where I was. I suppose I am a bit more relaxed since my illness but I still have the same drive and doggedness as before and I still hate losing.  

“Having qualified for the Australian Open last year, ultimately I want to be back in a position where I’m touching the main tour and being in the mix for Grand Slams but the way the ranking system works, you have to play for a long time to get back up to that kind of level. That’s the goal though and that journey starts next week.”