A PARALYMPIAN visited a Royal Wootton Bassett tennis club yesterday to welcome the Davis Cup to town.

Wheelchair tennis ace Louise Hunt dropped in to her training ground, the Gerard Buxton Sports Ground, as the glittering trophy was put on display.

Crowds gathered to get a glimpse of the iconic trophy, part of the Lawn Tennis Association’s Trophy Tour of Britain, which aims to thank the tennis community and inspire the new generation to pick up a racquet.

Young tennis talents then took to the court to practice their ace, volley and backhand skills with Louise.

Louise, who hails from Wanborough, will fly the flag for Swindon next month when she goes for gold at the Rio Paralympics.

“I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a little bit stressed but it’s good nervous,” she said.

“I’m really excited as I’ve had the privilege of representing Team GB at a home Paralympics and now this will be the first international time so I can’t wait.

“It feels great to be here with all the other club members, it’s exciting to see how they’re progressing and we definitely have some rising stars.

“Having the Davis Cup here is the icing on the cake.”

Royal Wootton Bassett Tennis Club chairman David Lukens said it was an honour having the Davis Cup at the ground and an inspiration to its 250 members.

“It’s fantastic to see so many tennis fans get excited about seeing the cup, it makes us feel very proud that we have such a famous trophy at our training ground,” he said.

“I think we have some future Wimbledon champions here so this is inspiring for them to see.

“More and more people are getting involved in tennis, it’s so popular now because of the successes Andy Murray has had.

“Having Louise train here has got more and more people involved in wheelchair tennis, and that’s great because it shows tennis is for everyone.”

Tennis fans Gill Wright and Samantha Burchell were among hundreds queuing up to take a look at the Davis Cup

“It’s ace”, said Andy Murray superfan Samantha, from Royal Wootton Bassett, who brought along a pair of trainers signed by the grand slam champ

“It’s such a proud moment for the country and Andy Murray is one of the best players ever. That’s why I bid for these trainers,” she said.

Tennis fan Gill added: “It’s amazing to see it here. I just love tennis and seeing Britain become so successful in it is a dream come true.”

In November Great Britain won the Davis Cup for the first time since 1936, Andy Murray playing a crucial role in the victory.