TENNIS: ELENA BALTCHA, the 17-year-old daughter of former Ipswich Town and Soviet Union footballer Sergei, is expected to play in the LTA Ladies' $25,000 tournament that starts at Felixstowe Lawn Tennis Club on Monday morning.

ELENA BALTCHA, the 17-year-old daughter of former Ipswich Town and Soviet

Union footballer Sergei, is expected to play in the LTA Ladies' $25,000

tournament that starts at Felixstowe Lawn Tennis Club on Monday morning.

Baltacha, who was awarded a wild card for Wimbledon where she lost in the

first round, has jumped several levels these last twelve months, reaching

the last four at Surbiton and qualifying for the main draw in Eastbourne.

She has watched her ranking shoot up into the world's top 250.

Tournament director Julie Piper, speaking before Baltacha's semi-final at

Junior Wimbledon, said yesterday: "Elena is down to play but she has had an

exhausting last four or five weeks and may pull out. Or she might decide she

is on a roll and keep on playing."

Amanda Janes from Aldeburgh, the former British No. 8 and youngest daughter

of former French Open champion Christine Truman, has been awarded a wild

card into qualifying.

Local interest is also provided by teenager Melissa Berry, another wild card

in qualifying, who lives within walking distance of the grass courts at Bath

Road. She is on the comeback trail after losing months of her schedule

through a back injury.

Lucie Ahl from Devon, Australian Annabel Ellwood and Sussex's Julie Pullin

are among the favourites here but Roberta Vinci, the diminutive Italian who

surprised the form-book by taking the title last year, will also be back in

Felixstowe.