Daniel Smith from Shildon and Louise Trueman from Darlington are the highest-placed regional players in the end-of-season national men's and women's singles rankings.

Very few players in Durham, Cleveland and North Yorkshire compete on the tournament circuit, with only six in the top 100 of either the singles or doubles listings.

Miss Trueman, 18, a multi county champion and number one singles player for County Durham, is placed 37th in singles nationally and 51 in doubles.

The county's previous number one, Mary Le Druillenec, currently a student in Birmingham, has placings at 56 and 89 respectively.

Smith, who has made rapid progress in the last two years, has leapt up to 67 in the men's singles.

Northallerton's Luke Brudenell just creeps into the singles at 99 and the doubles at 91 from limited tournaments, while Andy King from Newton Aycliffe is placed 84 in doubles.

In the under-17 junior rankings, Harrogate's Lucy Milne is placed 18th in the girls' singles, with Durham's Emma-Line Cosgrove at 61.

The next best are Stephanie Barwick from Marske, who represents Yorkshire, and Charlotte Heads of Wynyard, for Durham, jointly 86.

There are three from County Durham in the boys singles' top 100 - Adam Coulson (11), Scott Carnell (75) and Perry Cook (96).