NEXT year's AEGON Pro-Series Barnstaple tennis tournament is set to attract players ranked in the world's top 100.

The Lawn Tennis Association have confirmed the event will offer $75,000 prize money, raising it to the top tier of the Pro-Series.

That makes it the fourth most prestigious professional women's tournament in Britain and the largest in the south of England.

The top seed at September's $75k tournament in Shrewsbury was world number 65 Lucie Hradecka.

Ksenia Pervak, ranked 128, was the top seed at Tarka last month. World number 265 Johanna Larsson won the singles and teamed up with Anna Smith to win the doubles.

In a statement, the LTA said: "The 2009 AEGON Pro-Series event in Barnstaple was a great success with a strong contingent of British players, including the 2009 Junior US Open winner Heather Watson and her doubles partner Laura Robson.

"It was excellent to see British player Anna Smith lifting the doubles trophy with her Swedish partner Johanna Larsson.

"The extensive coverage the tournament received was testament to its success and reached out to a whole new audience across the South West of England.

"Next year's event is set to be bigger and better than ever with the announcement of the uplift of the event to the $75,000 level. This will attract even higher ranked players which can only benefit the competition and also the sport in Britain."

Next year's tournament is scheduled to start on October 4, with the final on October 10.

Organisers are also working hard to secure a men's tournament for Tarka within the next two years.