Braid ladies tennis captain Suzie Provan has pledged that the team will come back stronger after just failing to add the Scottish Cup to a successful defence of the VMH Solicitors East Division One title.

Backed by a busload of supporters the Braid team travelled to Newlands where they lost out to a particularly strong host club in the final.

Suzie said: ā€œBeing in the final gave us a real taste for it and we are determined to get our hands on that trophy at some point over the next few years.

ā€œWe will have the same players in 2024 except for Sophia Okusawa who is spending a year in Hong Kong as part of her university programme.

ā€œBut one of the great things about this season was the way the team gelled with newcomers Emily Gates and Eva Vrhunec fitting in well.ā€

To reach the final Braid overcame Melrose (5-1), Hatton (5-1), a Western (Glasgow) side who were runners-up last year 6-0 and local rivals Thistle 5-2, who were edged out of the East title on sets won.

Suzi added: ā€œIn addition to our core squad there were valuable contributions in the early rounds from Alice Drysdale, Sophie Black and Amy Allen who also organised the supporters’ bus.ā€

Pictured with their runners-up medals in front of their proud supporters are, left to right: Heather Croll, Mhairi Beattie, Suzie Provan, Sophia Okusawa, Eva Vrhunec and Emily Gates.