Braid ace, Sarah McFadyen, has set a high standard for local tennis veterans with selection for the Great Britain over-45s who finished seventh in a world masters tournament in Lisbon.
It is the fifth year in succession that Sarah has competed on the global stage having represented GB over-40s since 2022.
Sarah says: “Playing vets tennis is a great way to meet different people and visit different places.
“Competition was tough though as our four person team had to play Australia, Canada, Sweden, Netherlands, Germany and Turkey.”
For Sarah, who started playing aged 7 at the Colinton club and who was the only Scot in the team although Blackhall’s Eilidh Smith made the over-50’s, success came at a price.
“I picked up an arm injury playing on the clay courts with a high bounce which meant I had to serve underhand when subsequently travelling to play Kent with the East county team!”
Sarah also gained selection despite having her time on court restricted by undertaking a masters degree at Stirling University on the way to qualifying as an ambulance service paramedic, a job she started very recently.
With that degree behind her sights are how trained on making an impact in her next tournament in Wrexham early in 2027.
