Harry Wendelken’s maiden ATP Challenger singles title in Greece headlines 12 British tennis trophies
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All the latest news and updates from the world of British tennis – including more career-firsts, titles for British rising stars and wheelchair tennis successes.
Lucky loser Wendelken wins first Challenger singles trophy
It was a week to remember for 23-year-old Harry Wendelken – who went from lucky loser to champion at the Hersonissos Challenger in Greece.
The British star – who won his first Challenger doubles title just two months ago – lost in the second round of qualifying to former world No.39 Radu Albot, only to find himself into the main draw the next day.
After three-set victories in his opening two matches, confidence started to build for the young Brit – only losing a total of 15 games in quarter-final, semi-final and final.
In the final, Wendelken defeated Czech Republic’s Maxim Mrva 6-4, 6-3 to lift the first ATP Challenger Tour singles trophy of his career.
The victory has catapulted Wendelken up 105 places in the ATP rankings to a new career-high world No.341.
There was British success across the board at Hersonissos, with Giles Hussey and Mark Whitehouse also coming to win the men’s doubles title.
Hussey and Whitehouse came through three match tie-breaks in four matches to seal the title, finishing with a 6-4, 4-6, 10-5 win over top seeds Geoffrey Blancaneaux and Michael Geerts.
It marks a first Challenger doubles title for 28-year-old Hussey and a second for 32-year-old Whitehouse, who won another Challenger trophy in Hersonissos earlier in the year.
Staying with the ATP Challenger Tour, there was more British silverware for Johannus Monday in the Lincoln Challenger doubles in the USA.
Second seeds Monday and Patrick Harper didn’t drop a set throughout the tournament – finishing with a 6-4, 7-5 final win over Dhakshineswar Suresh and Aryan Shah.
This is a fourth Challenger doubles title win for Monday and his third with Australia’s Harper.
Teenage stars Stojsavljevic & Xu bring home titles in Birmingham
On home soil, there were title wins for two of Britain’s rising stars, Mika Stojsavljevic and Mimi Xu, at the Lexus British Pro Series Birmingham.
Former junior US Open champion Stojsavljevic claimed her second professional singles title with a dominant final win over Slovakia’s Katarina Kuzmova 6-4, 6-0.
Stojsavljevic also showed huge fight throughout the tournament, coming back from a set down in the quarter and semi-final against fellow Brits Xu and Amarni Banks.
The 16-year-old has reached the final in two of the three ITF World Tennis Tour events played since her Wimbledon main draw debut.
Xu went on to clinch the women’s doubles trophy with fellow teenage star Vendula Valdmannova of Czech Republic.
Xu and Valdmannova defeated top seeds Alicia Dudeney and Kuzmova in the final 6-3, 7-6(5) to secure the Brit’s fifth career ITF doubles trophy.
Both Brits will return to action at the Lexus Wrexham Open this week – check out our preview.
Allen & Maxted continue strong seasons
In Canada, 24-year-old Victoria Allen won her first professional singles title at the W35 Quebec City.
Allen took home the title without losing a set, beating Netherlands’ Jasmin Gimbere in the final 7-6(3), 6-2.
A breakthrough win in the singles also adds to the four doubles titles that Allen has picked up so far this year.
Lui Maxted is quickly making a name for himself on the ITF World Tennis Tour after the 21-year-old won his sixth title of the season and second singles trophy at the M25 Monastir.
The former Texas Christian University (TCU) star defeated France’s Etienne Donnet 6-4, 5-7, 6-4 in the final.
Ben Jones got his hands on the M15 Villers-les-Nancy doubles title as well last week - teaming up with Tim Ruehl of Germany.
Jones and Ruehl won an epic final against Tymur Bieldiugin and Nicolas Ifi 2-6, 7-6(5), 16-14.
Dart impresses in Mexico
Elsewhere, Harriet Dart had an impressive week at the WTA 125 Tampico – making the semi-finals in both singles and doubles.
Dart beat second seed Petra Marcinko in the quarter-finals 6-4, 6-3, but was forced to retire during her semi-final with Hanne Vandewinkel, which also put her out of the doubles.
Freya Christie made the final of the W100 Les Franqueses del Valles doubles – losing out to Dalila Jakupovic and Nika Radisic in the final 6-4, 2-6, 10-6.
Liam Broady finished runner-up at the M15 Villers-les-Nancy and Lily Miyazaki reached the semi-finals of the W50 Cherbourg-en-Cotentin.
Shuker leads four British wheelchair titles
In wheelchair tennis action, British No.1 Lucy Shuker won the ITF3s Indian Wells women’s singles title.
Shuker beat Canadian Anne-Marie Dolinar and American Sabina Czauz to lift her third singles trophy of the season. The Briton only dropped two games throughout the tournament.
Abbie Breakwell and partner Maayan Zikri won the Taipei Open women’s doubles title with a convincing 6-1, 6-3 victory over fellow Brit Ruby Bishop and Maylee Phillips.
It’s Breakwell’s fifth doubles title of the season and her third career trophy with Zikri.
Ben Bartram also took home the men's doubles title in Taipei, combining with Japan's Shogo Tokano.
The top seeds beat Abu Samah Borhan and Mohamad Yusshazwan Yusoff 7-6, 6-4 in the final.
Finally, Joshua Johns featured amongst this week’s title-winners with an impressive doubles showing at the ITFFS Montfermeil in France.
Top seeds Johns and Chilean Brayan Tapia overcame French duo Nicolas Charrier and Clement Miranda in the final 6-1, 6-4 to clinch the title.
