Dunblane tennis player Katie Gater enjoyed the best possible end to 2008, her first season as a full timer, by winning her second consecutive LTA 18 and under Grand Prix at the Welwyn Garden City on December 31st.

The victory qualifies 17-year-old Katie for the British Nationals, taking place next week in Glasgow. 

“The Grand Prix is the level below nationals but it was good to win it because it is qualifying for the nationals which I have never played before,” said Katie.  “And because I won at Welwyn it puts my British ranking up to No 7.”

The British Nationals will be hosted by the LTA’s national centre at Roehampton, London, next weekend.  Katie will be in a draw of the country’s best 16 girl players, following her appearance in the Glasgow $10,000 event which unveils the British 2009 season that week.

“Glasgow will be the first of four $10,000 events in a row and I will play all of them to try and get a world ranking,” said Katie, who is of course talking senior, not junior, world rankings.

Last year she admitted to only playing twice a week in an effort to concentrate on her Highers.  The result was she secured a place at Stirling University to study Law, the downside was she didn’t have time to time play more than a handful of ITF events and her junior ranking suffered. 

But now life has turned full circle.  She has reduced her university studies to part time whilst pursuing her on court studies full time.      

“I’m the only full time player at Stirling University and to start with I was worried it would get a bit lonely,” says Katie, who is coached there by Kenny Wood. 

“But I’m really enjoying it and it’s made a massive difference.  The biggest improvement has been my fitness and the Central Scotland Institute of Sport (which supported both Jamie Murray and Colin Fleming) has helped me with all the gym support. 

“Last year I played tennis twice a week and that was it.  This year I’ve been more committed with fitness and I’m playing at least a couple of hours a day.

“Long term my ambition is to play in the ladies Wimbledon main draw - it would be amazing.”

It must be a great inspiration that two other wildly talented Dunblane players have already done so well there.

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Image courtesy of Rob Eyton-Jones