LAURA EALES from Somerford Keynes is nearing the end of her third year of a four-year tennis scholarship at Long Beach State University in California, and this has been her most successful season to date.

Long Beach State play in America's top division of college tennis and has just won the Big West seasonal title – its 13th in the past 15 years – and a third straight title for Laura.

Next week the team travels to Indian Wells for the Big West Tournament in which the winner secures a place to play in the prestigious end-of-season NCAA National Championships.

Individually this has been a terrific season for Laura. She has won 24 singles matches and in March she was named the Big West Women's Tennis Athlete of the Week after a couple of highly significant wins including one against the number three player from top 10 team Pepperdine.

Her doubles results have been even better.

Laura, a former UK national junior doubles champion, playing with her American team-mate Hayley Thompson, is currently nationally ranked number 29, a fantastic achievement considering that nearly 2,500 ladies compete in Division One.

If results go well in Indian Wells, Laura and Hayley may secure an invitation to play in America's NCAA National Doubles Championships in Tulsa at the end of May.