PRAISE has continued to be showered on Ilkley Lawn Tennis & Squash Club after their successful staging of a men's challenger and women's pro circuit event last week.

Used to staging either their open tournament, British Tour or International Tennis Federation men's futures event, the Stourton Road club stepped up to the plate to host the biggest tournaments ever to be held in Yorkshire.

Among those who were impressed by the way in which Ilkley married their three aims of Yorkshire, world-class and friendliness were All England Lawn Tennis Club chairman Philip Brook and ATP Challenger supervisor Ed Hardisty.

Brook, who is from Wakefield, said: "Ilkley have done a fantastic job and they are a very friendly club", while Hardisty said that Ilkley was “a prime site to continue hosting such events".

Meanwhile, former Grand Slam doubles winners Lisa Raymond tweeted: "In my 20 years of coming to the UK to play on the grass, never been to Ilkley. Absolutely beautiful place #silverlining??."

And it is small wonder that men's doubles winner Marcus Daniell likes the place, having won the ITF Men's Futures tournament there for the past two years.

The Kiwi, who therefore now has three Ilkley titles in as many years, said: "This is my favourite place [to play] in the UK, if not the world. I just hope they play a Grand Slam event here!"

A total of 192 players competed in the four events, including Grand Slam doubles champions Raymond, Cara Black and Matthew Ebden, a total of 24 Davis Cup players and 20 Fed Cup players, while 16 players from the field will be competing in the main draw at Wimbledon next week.

And in contrast to other challengers around the world – women's singles winner Anna-Lena Friedsam said you could play a final at China in front of five spectators but that Ilkley was a very well-organised tournament – the Aegon Ilkley trophy attracted thousands of fans, including sell-out crowds on the final weekend.

Other successes at the tournament were the 140 'Games Makers' – the volunteer club members who provided the friendly face that club chairman Richard Bourdon was looking for – the 84 ball boys and girls from Ilkley Grammar School, and the Outreach Programme, which gave coaching to over 1,200 youngsters in the area for a fortnight before the event, who then came to watch the tennis and hopefully be inspired by the high-class action.

Bourdon said: “We have been thrilled to host this prestigious event and to see such exciting and challenging tennis played on our courts.

"I would like to thank the LTA and everyone – players, coaches, volunteers from our club and others across the region, ball crew, club members and spectators for making the event such a success.

"The club’s debut on the challenger circuit has been an overwhelming achievement all round and we look forward to strengthening our place as the best venue in the North of England for grass-court tennis, with the return of the Aegon Ilkley Trophy next year.”