Brazilian to head up tennis academy
RJM Sports Stirling & District Premier Division: Alva 1-0 Dunipace; Beechwood Albion 3-5 Cadora; Campsie 2-2 Raploch Hearts; Clackmannan Community 4-1 Syngenta.
Division 1: Bo’ness United 3-1 Riverside: Condorrat 0-3 Carbrain Boys.
Division 1 League Cup: Section 2 - Drumpellier Thistle 7-1 Newpark.
JF Colley Cup second round: Westfield Colts 0-2 Westquarter Violet. Quarter-finals: Loganlea United 1-3 Braehead; MLS Leeds 1-13 Pennies.
Caledonian League
Premier Division: Giffnock North 0-0 Milton. Division 1A: Cambusbarron Rovers 8-1 FC Dal Riata; Kilsyth 5-0 Doune Castle.
Division 1B: Holytown Colts 2-1 Stirling University; Rhu 2-7 Dunblane Soccer Academy. President’s Cup: Callander Thistle 4-4 Eaglesham.
Fosters Central Scottish AFL Division 1B: Fallin 4-0 BSC Glasgow.
Alona Hotel West of Scotland Amateur Cup fifth round: Bannockburn 3-2 Tynecastle. The new GB National Tennis Academy at Stirling University, which opens in August, will have Brazilian Leonardo Azevedo as head coach.
Tennis Scotland and the LTA appointed the world-class coach this week and he will head a team featuring Stirling University graduate Colin Fleming as lead performance coach and Spanish coach Esteban Carril with support from GB Davis Cup team captain Leon Smith.
Azevedo (42) has coached across the world for almost 20 years, from junior level to Grand Slam, Davis Cup and Olympic Games preparation and joins from his current position as head coach at international tennis academy Barcelona Total Tennis (BTT) in Spain.
He previously spent eight years at the United States Tennis Association as lead national coach of player development and worked with many of the country’s top players including Mardy Fish, Sam Querrey, Jack Sock, Donald Young, Taylor Dent and Cici Bellis.
The academy is one of only two in the UK and along with Loughborough University, it aims to play a crucial role in a enhancing tennis player development in the UK.
The programme will also offer eight of Britain’s top young tennis players the opportunity to study at Dollar Academy where they will benefit from a range of academic and co-curricular activities.
New head coach Azevedo said:“Tennis in Britain and Scotland has been on a fantastic journey over the last two decades and we don’t need to look far from Stirling to be inspired by just what is possible.
“I’m very passionate about the development of young talent and this will be the perfect environment to achieve that – everything is in place to allow young players to thrive.”
Blane Dodds, Tennis Scotland Chief Executive, added:“It’s a genuine coup to attract a coach of Leonardo’s calibre. Our recruitment process for this key role was thorough and we have excellent references from some of the most respected coaches in the game, including Ivan Lendl and José Higueras.
“With Scotland and Britain recently enjoying such unprecedented levels of success in world tennis through Andy and Jamie Murray and Gordon Reid, the applicants, aged 13-18, start at the academy in August, part of the LTA’s 10-year performance strategy focussed on creating a seamless pathway for champions that will nurture a diverse team of players and people. The long-term plan provides a clear route from under-eight to senior success..