THEY call it the Andy effect - and hundreds of young Scots tennis hopefuls have been swept up in the Murray momentum.

THEY call it the Andy effect - and hundreds of young Scots tennis hopefuls have been swept up in the Murray momentum.

Clubs all over the country say grass-roots demand for membership has surged thanks to the Dunblane star's charge through the world rankings.

Today a former Scottish national champion forecast more players will follow in Murray's slipstream and crack the top 100 on the ATP and WTA tours.

And Malcolm Watt is confident that at least one girl can follow Scotland's Elena Baltacha into the top 100 rankings.

Watt, head coach at Newlands Tennis Club on Glasgow's south side, said: "We are in a boom period for tennis in Scotland and a lot of that is down to Andy Murray.

"What Andy has achieved over the last couple of years has really raised the profile of the sport in Scotland. Basically, our kids are saying if Andy Murray can do it why can't I?

"At a club like ours at Newlands, we have 900 tennis members with about 250 juniors and I would say certainly in the junior section that is a 50 per cent rise and it is down to the effect Andy has had on raising the sport's profile.

"The kids love it and you can hear them talking about his latest match and the fact they want some of his kit or his rackets or whatever. That is the Andy effect."

As head coach of the biggest tennis club in the city, Watt has responsibility for making sure both elite and beginner level juniors are catered for.

Watt, is confident he has three juniors who may make a real impact. The Great Britain veteran international said: "I think it is a possibility that we could have another Scot following in Andy's footsteps and making it into the top 100.

"It is going to be a lot tougher on the boys side because the competition is that bit tougher.

"But our girls tennis is very strong I think there is a real chance there.

"We have a very good young prospect in Anna Brogan, who is No.4 in the Great Britain under-12 rankings, and who Judy Murray - Andy's mum - works with every six weeks or so. I think she has a massive shout in following Laura Robson who won junior Wimbledon.

"One of Anna's goals is to be a full-time tennis player on the Women's Tour."

Other oustanding prospects are 14-year-old Scott McAuley, who has just played for Scotland in the Four Nations at Scotstoun, Anna Brogan and George Baird, who is the No.1 in his age group in Scotland and in the top 10 in the Great Britain rankings at that level.

All four honed their skills at Newlands, one of eight big clubs in Glasgow all trying to mentor the Andy Murrays of tomorrow.

Watt also reckons tennis benefitting from a renewed popularity by trying to shed its upper-class image.

Malky said: "We do outreach work where we go out to Merrylee, Hillpark, Battlefield, Langside and Our Lady of the Annunciation primary schools to work with the kids. There is no doubt more are playing tennis.

"The other factor in that is that we have things tailored to make sure they get the most out of it and are encouraged.

"You have kids rackets, small sized courts and nets and special balls for kids. So it is a big change from when I was playing as a junior and you got handed a Dunlop Max-Ply racket handed and told to get on with it."

Watt added: "Six or seven years ago there was under-12s, 14s, 16s, 18s and that was it and now we have under-8, 9, 10. At the other end the age groups start at over 35 and go up to over-80 so people are starting earlier and playing longer."

"It is down to the clubs to move the goalposts. All we want to do is encourage people to play whether they are five or 55.

"But the juniors are our main focus because there is more chance of them progressing and everywhere we are seeing things going in the right direction."