Young Andy Murrays of the future are being thwarted in their attempts to brush up on their tennis skills by vandals attacking the council courts in Dundee.
Hooligans have been targeting the nets at various courts, including Camperdown Park and Dudhope Park, at the busiest time of the year for the sport.
After Andy Murray’s Wimbledon victory, youngsters in the city are flocking to the outdoor public courts, but are being frustrated in their attempts to have a game of tennis.
The latest act of vandalism took place on Sunday, just when Andy Murray was preparing for Wimbledon glory. It was spotted by golfers at Camperdown Park as they headed off the course.
One of the golfers said: “I was driving past and looked across at the courts. What caught my eye was that, in glorious weather and at the height of Wimbledon on the TV, nobody was playing.
“Usually there are dozens of people playing or waiting for a game. Then I noticed that there weren’t any nets up.
“I couldn’t believe it and I wondered whether they had been stolen and not replaced or whether the council just hadn’t put them up.
“It just seems stupid at a time when the whole nation is celebrating Andy Murray’s victory there’s no courts worth speaking about at the biggest park in the city.”
The vandalism comes at a time when Dundee City Council is investing £40,000 in a new tennis action plan, while sportscotland yesterday announced a multi-million-pound investment in tennis across the country.
Craig Melville, convener of Dundee City Council’s environment committee, said: “The nets at Camperdown were unhooked by vandals and replaced as soon as our staff spotted it.
“There was also a minor bit of vandalism to the nets at Dudhope last night, but that was fixed this morning.
“Nets at other tennis courts in the city have also been unhooked before by vandals.
“This problem rears its head at this time every year, which is frustrating considering that just last week we unveiled the first investment made as part of our new £40,000 tennis action plan.
“The council-managed courts at Fairmuir and South Road have undergone renovation in an improvement drive for the sport in the city that included resurfacing, painting and realigning of the courts, with new nets and posts.
“Once the surface is cured, the final treatment will be carried out later this month. Meanwhile, we are also preparing a bid to improve the facilities at Dawson Park. This initiative is to encourage everybody to come and try the sport, and we are keen for people to keep active in their local parks and open spaces.
“The investment forms part of a longer-term action plan to improve tennis courts in the city and encourage more people to play.”
Murray-mania is also being credited with an upsurge in membership at local tennis clubs over the past couple of years.
Almost exactly a year ago, Dundee-based MSP Jenny Marra called the city’s tennis courts “a disgrace”.
She also highlighted the poor condition of several of Dundee’s public courts in a home-made YouTube video last year.