KYLE Brassington admitted to being “a bit sore” after his singles exploits at Ilkley Lawn Tennis & Squash Club this week.

The club’s 26-year-old performance coach said: “It is three years since I played at professional level but I was asked to do so by our club manager a month ago, and agreed”

Brassington played twice on Monday, defeating 25-year-old American Marcus Yu 6-3, 6-1 and Briton Howard Scott 2-6, 6-4, 6-4 before bowing out on Tuesday in the final qualifying round to top seed, 19-year-old Alexander Jhun 6-4, 7-6 (7-4).

The local man, who took his post a month ago, said: “I played quite solidly in my first match and enjoyed the challenge of my second clash and was a bit lucky.

“My third clash on Tuesday was not classic grass-court tennis and both of us had chances but he just played a bit better. It was the luck of the draw that I faced the top seed”

Brassington, who is not playing doubles this week, will represent Yorkshire on County Week later this month before playing the AEGON British Tour event at Ilkley on July 28-August 2.

Ilkley Lawn Tennis & Squash Club stages a four-team women’s match next Wednesday between Ivy League universities Harvard & Yale and a Yorkshire invitation team, which includes Ren sisters Jessica and Jennifer (11am-4pm). The Americans (captain Annie Sullivan, Madeleine Hamilton, June Lee and Sylvia Li) are warming up for their clash against an Oxbridge team for the Seabright Cup at the All England Club.

The Ilkley contest has been organised by Simon Ickringill and former Cambridge University tennis captain Cameron Johnston, who used to be an Ilkley club member and attended Bradford Grammar School.