Queenslander Jason Kubler has enjoyed the first grasscourt triumph of his career in the Ilkley Trophy, one of the British warm-up events for Wimbledon.
While Alex de Minaur was reaching the final of the prestigious Queen’s Club Championship in London, Kubler was enjoying his breakthrough triumph at the smaller second-tier Challenger event in Yorkshire on Saturday.
The 30-year-old beat in-form Austrian Sebastian Ofner, the tournament’s top seed, 6-4 6-4 in the final to demonstrate his readiness for another crack at a good run at Wimbledon where he made the last 16 in 2022 in only his second appearance at the grasscourt slam.
“It feels special, a first grasscourt title,” Kubler said.
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“This grasscourt season has been good.
“I made the quarter-finals in Surbiton (in England) and I had a pretty tough match against Ugo Humbert in ‘s-Hertogenbosch (in the Netherlands).
“To get a lot of matches going into Wimbledon has been the main goal and getting the wins here has made it a bit more special.
“Leading into Wimbledon, I’m definitely feeling comfortable on the surface, and hopefully I can keep playing good tennis.”
Kubler, the former world junior No.1, has enjoyed a second straight impressive season after years of injury woes, and will jump more than 20 places in the rankings to No.74 after his first tournament win in 2023.
After his victory, Kubler was flying off to Mallorca to join fellow Australian Wimbledon hopefuls Chris O’Connell, Jordan Thompson and Max Purcell for their final ATP warm-up event before Wimbledon kicks off a week on Monday.
Nick Kyrgios had also been due to compete on the Spanish island but has pulled out with continuing concerns over a knee problem that threatens his Wimbledon participation.
-AAP
