Elena Baltacha: Nottingham trophy named after late tennis player

The Elena Baltacha trophy will feature at June's Nottingham Open

The winner's trophy at the Aegon Open in Nottingham has been named in honour of Elena Baltacha.

Baltacha died from liver cancer on 4 May 2014, aged 30, six months after announcing her retirement from playing.

Husband Nino Severino said: "It's very touching that the British tennis family is remembering her this way."

The newly commissioned trophy - a silver bowl - will be played for at the new WTA event which runs from 6-14 June at Nottingham Tennis Centre.

Baltacha won 11 ITF titles in a career spanning three decades

Born in Ukraine, Baltacha moved to the UK after her footballer father Sergei joined Ipswich Town from Dynamo Kiev in the late 1980s.

He subsequently moved his career and family to Scotland, where Elena spent her teenage years.

Her tennis career began in 1997 and she won 11 ITF events and battled injury and illness before her retirement.

She had returned to living in Ipswich by the time of her passing.

Great Britain's Fed Cup captain Judy Murray said: "She was one of the best competitors I ever saw and had a lot of success at the Nottingham event.

"I know she would be thrilled with this."