Entries for the tournament which takes place at Surbiton Rackets and Fitness Club are starting to flood in and Woodroffe and Collin will add a distinctly local flavour to the women's draw.

It will be Collin's first appearance in the tournament, which runs from June 3 to 11. Although still technically a junior, she has been playing senior events for over a year and has also been full time on the women's tour since finishing her schoolwork last July.

"It was a big change but I've made the right decision to stop my education and to dedicate myself to tennis."

And that change has certainly brought dividends. Last November in Telford she became the second youngest player ever to win the National Championships. In December she helped the British team return the top flight of the European Women's Team Champ- ionship and in January she reached the semi-final of the Australian Junior Open.

"A lot of people think that travelling to all these nice places must make it a very glamorous lifestyle but it's not all like that. It can be a very hard life but you've just got to keep your head down and as long as you can handle the downs then it's great."

While extra pressure might be riding on Collin as the local hero, a good performance could also help her receive a wild card into Wimbledon a fortnight later. Collin has previously reached the quarter finals of junior Wimbledon and she has played in the qualifying draw of the senior event but making this year's main draw is her aim.

"I love the Wimbledon fortnight because everything's so close to me and it's much more relaxing," she said.

While Collin is beginning her professional career, Lorna Woodroffe, at 23 years of age, is a seasoned player.

Woodroffe, like Collin, is in country's top 10. She has seen the women's game improve dramatically, although she is acutely aware that their progress has largely been overshadowed by the performances of Tim Henman and Greg Rusedski.

"Women's tennis in Britain is much stronger than it was five years ago," said Woodroffe. "There's so much more depth now and a mass of youngsters coming up who are getting good results around the world.

"Surrey is a strong county has a good system especially. All the top players in the girls' age groups seem to be from this county."

Woodroffe does not have a coach travelling with her and has to rely on her own motivation. "There's a lot of hanging around, particularly when the weather's bad, it can get quite boring and you've got to keep yourself motivated. It's probably the same with a lot of sports, you just see the club and the hotel and you live out of a suitcase the whole time."

"If you have a coach with you it's easier but if you don't you have to get motivated every day to go out and practice and work really hard and get the most out of yourself and I go to the gym a lot to keep motivated.

"But I've made the right decision to become a tennis player. It's what I like doing most. It's great when you're doing well and I enjoy the pressure of playing for the British team."

Woodroffe has played in all three Powder Byrne tournament and last year she shared the doubles title when the final was abandoned due to rain. But she will also remember 1999 as the year she pulled off a straight set first-round defeat against American Alexander Stevenson, who two weeks later appeared on every TV set in the country in the Wimbledon semi finals.

The irony isn't lost on Woodroffe. "I knew she was a good player because she was seeded but when I played her I had no idea that she would be able to get to get that far at Wimbledon. I just wish I'd beaten her in the semis of Wimbledon."

For ticket information please contact Surbiton Rackets and Fitness Club on telephone 0208 8390 2243