Elena Baltacha is the highest-ranked British player taking part

Some of Britain's best female tennis players are set to play in the inaugural Barnstaple Open next week.

The International Tennis Federation tournament will be one of the biggest tennis events to be held in the country this year with �28,000 of prize money.

British Fed Cup players Elena Baltacha and Katie O'Brien will play, along with Cornwall's Jade Curtis, who played at Junior Wimbledon.

World number 96, Estonia's Maret Ani, is the highest-ranked player.

France's Severine Bremond, the world number 99, is the only other top-100 player taking part.

The event is the second biggest indoor tennis tournament in the UK and the fifth-highest ranked.

"The build-up to the tournament is nearly complete and awareness of the Open is now very high in the north and mid-Devon areas," marketing partner Colin Gibbs said.

"There have even been group enquiries from as far as Bath, Exeter and Plymouth."

The Lawn Tennis Association's head of women's tennis, Carl Maes, added: "This level of competition is part of a restructure of the tournament pyramid to provide the opportunity for our players to compete against world-class opposition more regularly in Britain.

"The Barnstaple Open will see some of the best British women in action, so I would encourage all tennis fans in the area to come along and watch."