FORMER British number one tennis star Elena Baltacha would have known for more than a decade she was at high risk of liver cancer before the disease cut short her life at the age of 30.

The player had contracted a chronic condition which affects the immune system as a teenager, 11 years earlier.

She was diagnosed with cancer in January, just two months after retiring from tennis and only weeks after she married her long-time coach Nino Severino.

Baltacha, the daughter of former St Johnstone and Inverness Caledonian Thistle footballer Sergei Baltacha and who was raised in Paisley, was told that she had primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC), a rare, chronic liver condition which affects the bile ducts and the liver.

The condition affects around one in 16,000 people in the UK and can be diagnosed at any age, but is more common in people aged around 40. The condition is twice as common in men as in women.

As tributes continued to be paid to Kiev-born Baltacha - known as Bally by colleagues in the sport - following her death on Sunday, Andrew Langford, chief executive of the British Liver Trust, said PSC carries a "high chance" of developing liver cancer.

He said the condition can cause fibrosis in the liver, causing a gradual deterioration followed by cirrhosis, a hardening of the liver that can lead to liver cancer.

Although PSC is more common in older people, Mr Langford said they also saw a "lot" of people with the disease in their 20s.

He said Baltacha might have benefited from a liver transplant - but there was a shortage of organs available for transplantation in the UK.

"Liver cancer is on the increase at the moment, not because of PSC but because of other factors around liver disease but it does mean that unfortunately there is a great draw not only on liver services but also for any organs that become available for transplantation," he said.

"One of the things that people with liver cancer sometimes benefit from is a liver transplant but we have such a short supply in the UK that it means that some people don't get them."

Mr Langford paid tribute to Baltacha's strength of character and her achievements as a tennis player in spite of her diagnosis.

"It shows the strength of her character. Obviously tennis was her passion despite her liver disease and it makes her achievements even more significant," he said.

Figures from Cancer Research UK's website show there are around 4300 primary liver cancers - cancer that started from the cells of the liver - diagnosed in the UK every year, with the disease more common in men than women.

The risk of the disease grows with age with almost nine out of 10 cases diagnosed in people aged over 55.

Meanwhile, Andy Murray, who joined other players in paying tribute to Baltacha at the Madrid Open last night said he was "heartbroken beyond words at the loss of our beautiful, talented and determined Bally."

The Dunblane-born Wimbledon champion added: "She was an amazing person and she touched so many people with her inspirational spirit, her warmth and her kindness."

A statement released by her family said Baltacha died peacefully at home.

Tennis legend Billie-Jean King wrote on Twitter: "Saddened to hear about Elena Baltacha's passing. My fondest memory w/Bally was sharing a wonderful chat when we met the Queen at Wimbledon."

Baltacha's former coach Jo Durie hailed the Scot as a "fighter". She added: "She fought on the tennis court and she had problems she had to fight for the rest of her life."

Durie said that despite only finding out she had the illness aged 19, Baltacha had a "positive view of everything".

Fellow British tennis star Laura Robson tweeted: "Impossibly sad. Forever a teammate. Sweet dreams Bally."

First Minister Alex Salmond said: "Scotland has lost one of our most well-loved sports stars."

Baltacha retired from professional tennis last November after a career which had seen her ranked as the British number one for 132 weeks, from December 2009 to June 2012. She was ranked number 49 in the world in September 2010.