colinflemingonline.myfreeforum.org

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From August 2005 [this interview was done after Colin's fantastic start to the GB 3 satellite where in singles he reached 2 finals, winning two, he also won a couple of doubles titles with Jamie Murray]:

Linlithgow tennis player Colin Fleming has proved that, contrary to the majority of his talented contemporaries who have opted to base themselves at training squads in England and overseas, being located in Scotland full time does work.

This weekend the 20 year old Stirling University student, currently mid way through a gap year from Economics and Finance to pursue his first love, reached the final of the LTA Satellite event in Newcastle. His coach, Euan McGinn believes Fleming is Scotland’s first Scottish-based tennis player to appear in a final at this level.

A month ago, Fleming teamed up with Dunblane’s Jamie Murray to win three doubles legs of the Swedish Satellite, halving his world ranking in the process. The experience gave him belief that he could replicate the same form on the singles court. In Newcastle this week he upset seeded English players, Tom Burn and Andrew Banks before losing in the final to second seeded Italian Flavio Cipolla.

"The doubles success helped me feel like I belong on the same court as the top players in these tournaments," said Fleming. "It paid off this week with two wins against well respected British players."

In opting for Stirling University’s Tennis Scholarship Programme two and half year ago, Fleming has access to top level coaching combined with the support services of the Central Institute of Sport.

"Everyone at Stirling, both at the university and the Central Institute, has helped me a lot," he said.

"The stuff going on there in terms of coaching, training, nutrition and the physical stuff is up there with any programme in Britain for a full time player. In addition to the coaching there are Strength and Conditioning coaches and I’ve done a lot of work with the nutritionist and the psychologist through the Institute.

"It just shows that if you want to play and you want to stay in Scotland then it can be done."

Said Head Coach of Stirling University Tennis Scholarship Programme, Euan McGinn: "This is a fantastic achievement for Colin and as far as I’m aware he’s the first person who has been a home based player to reach the final of a Satellite event.

"At Stirling we run a programme for all of our players which full time players don’t get elsewhere. It just shows what people can achieve staying where they are in Scotland."

Fleming will complete the four-week Satellite event in the Masters at Solihull this week. After that he will head to the India Satellite with two fellow Stirling students.

Conscious of the new term looming, he is weighing up the possibility of extending his tennis gap year. Either way he has decided on continuing his tennis education in Scotland.

"It’s always been Scotland for me," he said. "I’ve never considered an option apart from Scotland for tennis and I’ve always believed it was possible to keep improving here."