FORMER Knutsford girl Lorraine Gracie was one of a handful of British women players who carried Brit

If The Spice Girls played tennis, Britain could win the ladies' singles championship.

"Ladies tennis in Britain is really struggling at the moment, but if we had a good role model more girls may take up the sport," she said.

"You've seen what The Spice Girls have done for British music. That's what our tennis needs."

A fine role model - such as Venus Williams, only British - could do the trick.

Lorraine, now 35, started playing tennis at 10 - and fell in love with the game.

Her coaches were dad Malcolm, then president of the Lawn Tennis Association, and former Lancashire county player Charles Applewhaite.

But it was only after she had sat her A-level exams at Culcheth Hall School that she began to tour the world as a professional tennis player.

But in the 1980's life for a pro was somewhat different to today.

Players were often forced to go it alone because it was too expensive to take the family with them.

One of Lorraine's first trips took the then naive 18-year-old to Brazil.

"It was a real eye opener," said Lorraine, formerly of Legh Road, Knutsford.

"I was far too trusting with people and had all my valuables stolen the day I got there. It was horrible and I didn't have a clue what to do."

Often Lorraine travelled abroad not knowing where she would even stay.

"You just had to go into a bar and talk to people," she said. "If you were lucky someone would offer to put you up for the tournament."

On a trip to Germany she could not find a place to stay so she ended up in a crowded youth hostel.

"It was the middle of the night and I was all alone walking through this hostel trying to find an empty bed," she said.

In contrast, she remembers her first shot at Wimbledon with affection.

"You're treated really well at Wimbledon," she said. "They all make an effort to make sure you're okay."

Lorraine played in the doubles for four years and just failed to qualify for the singles by one match in 1986.

She also played doubles at the Australian Open that year.

But after five years on tour, she decided to quit playing professionally and became a tennis coach.

She wasn't winning enough games and was weary of the lifestyle.

"I felt I'd reached my potential and craved some sort of normality in my life," she said. "I felt very lonely at the end."

Securing sponsorship had also presented problems which had meant money was tight.

"I must have written about 100 letters but got no response from any of them," she said. "They don't want to know you until you're famous."

But one firm that did help her out was Knutsford Motors - after she had a prang in her car in 1986 as she prepared to travel to Wimbledon.

"Knutsford Motors lent me a brand new Ford and I kept it all summer," she said. "I was so grateful to them."

Today Lorraine, who coached adults at her dad's club Matchpoint for 10 years, shares her time between Bowdon and Alderley Edge tennis clubs.

She lives in Bowdon with her husband David Safiruddin, and their two sons, Jamie, 8, and four-year-old Miles.

Both boys like tennis.

Jamie is due to play in the Bowdon under-10s' final.

But she says she won't be a pushy parent.

"It just sets a bad example," she says. "I won't be pushing Jamie or Miles into playing.

"If Jamie wanted to be a Boris Becker he'd have to give up everything now and there's no way I'd let him do that."

She cites Venus Williams' father as a good example to other tennis parents.

He refused to let his daughters Venus and Serena compete in any tournaments until they were teenagers which meant they could concentrate on their school studies.

"If children start playing at a very young age they can get bored and burn out before they have a chance to reach their potential," she said.

Lorraine continues to play doubles for Lancashire County Tennis Club and last year she and partner Anne Driver, of Clitheroe, finished second in the country.

But despite all her success on court, off court is where her loyalties lie.

Her family has always come first and the game match she loves most is with husband David and sons Jamie and Miles.

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