Judy Murray serves up inspiration at Shropshire coaching sessions

More than 150 youngsters have attended the coaching sessions at the Shrewsbury Club, which have been staged while the club hosts the Aegon GB Pro-Series event.

Mrs Murray, whose sons Andy and Jamie will line up for the British Davies Cup team in a historic final next week, praised the Shrewsbury Club's efforts in inspiring people to take up tennis.

She said: "I think the great thing about today is it is such a great opportunity to showcase tennis to everyone in the area.

"I think the club has done a really good job of bringing in as many people from as many different parts of the county to be able to not just watch tennis but to take part in sessions, whether that is primary school children trying it for the first time, or college sports students, the county girls tennis team, there is quite a big women's and girls theme going on."

She added: "Because I am Federation Cup captain it is great to see them trying to engage more with girls tennis."

Mrs Murray said she wanted to do what she could to encourage people to pick up a racket – be that for exercise or because they want to progress in the sport.

She said: "I think my focus over the last two years at least has been very much participation focused and about growing the game.

"I recognise we have a huge opportunity to capture the interest generated in tennis back to maybe when Andy won his gold medal at the Olympics, then the US Open, and then Wimbledon.

"There is so much more awareness of tennis particularly in the media and on TV and our sport has to capitalise on that because the buzz might not always be there.

"I have become more and more aware that we need role models to create inspiration."

Next weekend Mrs Murray's sons are expected to line up for Britain against Belgium with the chance to win the Davies Cup – for the first time since 1936 – something she says could add to the interest in taking up tennis.

She said: "It is a huge moment for British tennis history.

"We have not won it since 1936 and the last time we were in the final was 1978 so this kind of opportunity does not come around very often. The thing with team competitions is it is a massive opportunity to galvanize all British tennis fans because they will also get behind the team, so to win it would lead to increased excitement but also massive interest in the game.

"The challenge is to capture the interest and get people playing the game."

Dave Courteen, managing director at the Mosaic Group which owns the Shrewsbury Club, said they were delighted to have welcomed Mrs Murray to the club.

He said: "It is brilliant.

"We have tried to focus at the Shrewsbury Club on doing an awful lot of outreach into schools and the community to get more people playing tennis and to have someone like Judy here who is so well known is excellent.

"Judy is a natural, this is what she does.

"She is well known for being a famous mum, and well known for dancing on Strictly but she is also one of the country's best coaches."