MANCHESTER: JAMES WARD TAKES THE TITLE (04.07.10)

In the battle of the 23 year old Brits (very useful grasscourt time, too, ahead of the forthcoming Davis Cup match against Turkey on the Eastbourne sward where they will be team-mates), it was GB #4 James Ward who came up trumps 6-2 7-6(1) in the final against his higher ranked compatriot, GB #3 Jamie Baker, to lift the $10k ITF in Manchester. CONGRATULATIONS, JAMES!

NEWPORT: RICHARD BLOOMFIELD QUALIFIES (05.07.10)

The ATP250 on the grass at Newport, Rhode Island, USA has three Brits in the doubles Main Draw: Ross Hutchins, Jonny Marray and Jamie Murray; it also now has one in the singles! GB #2 Alex Bogdanovic went down in Q2 but his conqueror, Michael Kohlmann of Germany, had British revenge exacted in the final round of qualifying courtesy of GB #12 Richard Bloomfield. Bloomers took it 6-7(5) 7-6(5) 6-3 to now face Christophe Rochus (BEL) in R1. GO, BLOOMERS!

JUNIOR RANKINGS: 8 BRITISH BOYS IN WORLD TOP 76! (06.07.10)

It was a highly satisfactory junior Wimbledon for the British Boys and today's new junior rankings list has 8 home players not just in the top 100 but in the top 76! Leading the way is Oliver Golding whose excellent run in the Boys' singles included taking down the world #1 and whose ranking is inside the top 30. See the Rankings News (Juniors) thread on the public forum. The transition from junior tennis to the senior tour is not a cakewalk, of course, but there's clearly 8 reasons to be cheerful about the near future of mens tennis in Britain. KEEP GOING, LADS!

NEWPORT: RICHARD BLOOMFIELD WINS IN ROUND 1 (07.07.10)

GB #12 Richard Bloomfield will be inside the GB top 10 on Monday! He has followed up winning through 3 rounds of qualifying at the oldest, and only remaining grasscourt, tournament in America (now known as the ATP250 Hall of Fame event) in Newport, RI, USA by taking down world #160 Christophe Rochus of Belgium 7-6(1) 6-3 in round 1 of the Main Draw. Next up is second seed Santiago Giraldo (COL) ranked #54. EXCELLENT, BLOOMERS!

NEWPORT: RICHARD BLOOMFIELD DOWNS 2nd SEED (08.07.10)

Richard Bloomfield's amazing week continues! Currently ranked world #552 with his Career High ranking of #176 some 3 years ago now, he has recaptured (and surpassed?) his halcyon days at the ATP250 being played at the last American redoubt of good old grasscourt tennis in Newport, Rhode Island, USA. His 5th singles win of the week, in R2, was by 6-3 7-6(5) over the second seed ranked #54, overturning a rankings deficit of 498! 18 year old wild card Ryan Harrison (USA) ranked 262 is next up for a place in the semis. BRILLIANT, BLOOMERS & GOOD LUCK!

ILKLEY: GEORGE MORGAN ENSURES IT'S A TITLE FOR GB! (09.07.10)

Invidious to highlight just one but of the four Brits through to the singles SFs of this week's grasscourt $10k ITF in Ilkley only 17 year old George Morgan was taking on foreign opposition! Given a wild card into the Main Draw, George (GB #2 junior but ATP ranked 1343 at this early stage of his senior career) had already accounted for a Frenchman in R2 and in the QFs defeated a 571 ranked Aussie. George faces GB #10 David Rice next whilst the other semi is between Josh Goodall and Marcus Willis, who beat top seeded GB #5 Dan Evans in the QFs. WAY TO GO, GEORGE!

NEWPORT: RICHARD BLOOMFIELD WINS HIS QF (10.07.10)

GB #12 Richard Bloomfield will in fact be GB #5 on Monday; or better if he can beat Mardy Fish in the SFs! Another fantastic win for Bloomers in the ATP250 in Newport, RI, USA making six in a row; this time 5-7 7-6 (3) 7-5 in his QF against Ryan Harrison (USA) to earn another 45 ranking points taking his tally for the week so far to 102. Fish (USA) is world ranked 73 and seeded5. FANTASTIC, BLOOMERS!

DAVIS CUP: GB 3 TURKEY 0 (10.07.10)

Richard Bloomfield's brilliant week at the ATP250 in Newport came to an end at the SF stage today 6-7(5) 4-6 against the 5th seed; but on this side of the Atlantic Britain's new Davis Cup regime under new captain Leon Smith won their match against Turkey with a day to spare. Flemski showed their world top 50 class to ease through today's dubs in straight sets to reinforce yesterday's two singles wins by Jamie Baker and, magnificently against the rankings, Jamie Ward who took down the world #103 three sets to one. Onwards and upwards from here, guys! GO, TEAM GB!

ILKLEY: JOSH GOODALL DOES THE DOUBLE (11.07.10)

Whilst team GB were wrapping up a perfect 5-0 against Turkey in Eastbourne, former GB #2 Josh Goodall was completing a perfect week on the grass in Ilkley. He lifted the $10k ITF singles title by beating fellow Brit David Rice in the final 6-3 7-6(2) and, in company with GB's Andrew Fitzpatrick, upset the odds in the dubs final winning 10-3 in the Match Tie-Break against the second seeds from India. GREAT STUFF, JOSH!

ATP RANKINGS: RICHARD BLOOMFIELD CASHES IN! (12.07.10)

As anticipated, 27 year old Richard Bloomfield's brilliant week at the ATP250 in Newport has resulted in a massive leap up the ATP rankings today, up 260 places to be world #292 this morning and up from GB #12 to be GB #5. Immediate bonus is his special exemption into the $75k ATP Challenger starting today in Aptos, California, USA where his first round opponent is none other than GB #2 Alex Bogdanovic. YAY, BLOOMERS!

WOKING: R1 WINS FOR ROBSON, SMITH, CAVADAY, O'BRIEN (13.07.10)

Rain prevented a full hand of results from R1 of the womens $25k ITF in Woking today but there was time enough for 4 British winners to book their places in R2 with at least one, and maybe 3, more to come. Most emphatic home win was by 7th seed Laura Robson, most gutsy by 3rd seed Katie O'Brien. See the Woking thread on the public forum for details. GO, ALL BRITS!

WOKING: QFs FOR ANNA SMITH, LAURA ROBSON & KATIE O'BRIEN (14.07.10)

The chances of an all-Brit final remain on track with 7th seed Laura Robson easing through to the QFs in the bottom half of the draw for a total loss of only 4 games at the $25k ITF in Woking whilst in the top half Katie O'Brien, 3rd seed and GB #2, faces GB #8 Anna Smith in the QFs, Anna having superbly accounted for the 6th seed from France today. See the Woking thread on the public forum for more. HERE'S TO 2 OUT OF 3 IN THE SFs, THEN!

WOKING/APTOS: O'BRIEN/BOGDANOVIC STILL STANDING (15.07.10)

One chance left for a British singles title in both Woking and Aptos! At the $25k womens ITF in Surrey, GB #2 Katie O'Brien next faces Emma Laine of Finland in the SFs having edged past fellow Brit Anna Smith today; over in California at the $75k ATP Challenger, GB #2 Alex Bogdanovic was gifted a walkover in R2 having kept fellow Brit Richard Bloomfield at bay in R1, 6-3 6-4, with next up world #107 and second seed Somdev Devvarman (IND). GOOD LUCK, BOTH!

WOKING: TITLE SHOTS FOR KATIE O'BRIEN & JOSS RAE (16.07.10)

GB #2 Katie O'Brien has made it to her first singles final of the year at the $25k ITF in Woking where her opponent will be world #3 junior Timea Babos (HUN); Babos is also in the doubles final with Emma Laine (FIN) and will be taking on GB's Joss Rae and Emelyn Starr (AUS). See the Woking thread on the public forum for more. GOOD LUCK, YOU BRITS!

PORTOROZ: ANNE KEOTHAVONG WINS HER Q1 (17.07.10)

Two Brits started in the singles qualifiers today for the hardcourt $220k WTA International in Portoroz, Slovenia. For GB #8 Anna Smith this was useful experience in uncarted waters but unsuccessful losing 2&2; for GB #3 Anne Keothavong her Q1 win, 6-4 6-3 against Slovenian wild card and world #6 junior Nastja Kolar, will hopefully be the start of her march back towards the world top 50 where she was this time last year before injury intervened. GO, ANNIE K!

FRINTON: DAN COX LIFTS THE TITLE (18.07.10)

No singles titles this week for Katie O'Brien or Alex Bogdanovic after all; so take a bow Dan Cox! It's been a torrid few months for Dan who reached his Career High ranking, and was GB #10 for a week or so, in March but now finds himself over 300 ranking places adrift of that and GB #22. All the more reason to cheer, then, that he lifted the $10k ITF on the grass at Frinton today albeit at the expense of another Brit, GB #8 Josh Goodall, 7-6 6-2. WELL DONE, DAN!

LES CONTAMINES: KATIE O'BRIEN SEEDED 2 (19.07.10)

With GB #3 Anne Keothavong unfortunately going down in Q3 in the Slovenian WTA and banking just 10 ranking points, GB #2 Katie O'Brien has the chance to pull herself further ahead in the rankings at the $25k ITF at Les Contamines, France. She's seeded to reach the final and therefore match her 34 ranking points from the Woking $25k. First up is a tricky one, though, against Audrey Bergot (FRA) who has been a bete noir for Brits in the past. Here's hoping Katie has recaptured the winning habit! GOOD LUCK, KATIE!

[POSTSCRIPT: Bete noir again; Katie went down in R1 ]

WREXHAM: 18 BRITS IN THE MAIN DRAW (20.07.10)

With 5 Brits making it through qualifying including one lucky loser, the field for the $25k ITF in Wrexham this week is veritably awash with home players! Top home hope is US Open junior champion Heather Watson, seeded 4. Hope the rain stops so play can be outdoors tomorrow! See the Wrexham thread on the public forum for more. GO, ALL BRITS!

[POSTSCRIPT: A rare instance of accurate foresight from yours truly: Heather Watson goes to the next level here! ]

WREXHAM: 7 BRITS THROUGH TO ROUND 2 (21.07.10)

The $25k womens ITF being played at Wrexham this week has quickly developed into a game of two halves from the point of view of British participation in the singles. In the bottom half of the draw 6 of the 8 players are Brits including seeds Heather Watson, Naomi Broady and Lisa Whybourn. The top half has just one: Emily Webley-Smith. See the Wrexham thread on the public forum for more. GO, EMILY!

WREXHAM: BRITISH FINALIST GUARANTEED! (22.07.10)

Although Emily Webley-Smith went down in R2 today making the top half of the draw Brit-free at the QF stage of this week's $25k ITF in Wrexham, magnificently all 4 QF slots in the bottom half are occupied by home players after Lisa Whybourn and Naomi Broady accounted for their overseas opponents today. Heather Watson and Tara Moore also won in R2. All are aged in the 17-20 bracket. See the Wrexham thread on the public forum for more. MAY THE BEST YOUNG 'UN WIN!