Thrilling finals at the Lexus Ilkley Open

Monday, 16 June 2025 09:18

Sunday was finals day at the Lexus Ilkley Open at Ilkley, Lawn, Tennis & Squash Club.

American 17-year-old Iva Jovic is the new Lexus Ilkley Open women’s champion after a dominant final win over reigning champion Rebecca Marino.

Jovic needed just 68 minutes as she blasted past the Canadian 6-1, 6-3 to become the latest women’s singles title winner .

This is the first WTA 125 title that Jovic has won in her career, adding to her impressive title at the W100 Charlottesville earlier this season.

“It feels pretty great, I’m just so happy to come out here and play a tonne of good matches,”

Jovic said after the match.

“The first three rounds I played three sets and was almost eliminated but I was just trying to fight and figure it out. I think I found my game towards the end of the tournament.

“There’s not as much adjustment for me on the grass, I like how I’m able to naturally play on it. Clay is a bit more of an adjustment for me but here it’s more natural and hopefully I can keep the results coming.

“Hopefully I can make the main draw at Wimbledon, I’m super excited to play there.”

In the afternoon, Australia’s Tristan Schoolkate came from a set down to beat Britain’s Jack Pinnington Jones in the men’s singles final.

Schoolkate rallied back to defeat the 22-year-old British star 6-7(8), 6-4, 6-3 in two hours and 35 minutes to become the new Ilkley champion.

Pinnington Jones led by a set and a break at 3-1, 30-0 in the second set but the seventh seed fought back to get his fourth comeback win of the week.

This is the Australian’s third ATP Challenger title of his career and second of the season after lifting the trophy in Brisbane back in February.

“It’s phenomenal – if you’d have told me at the start of the week I’d be standing here as the winner, I’d be pumped. I’m obviously really happy with the result.

“It wasn’t the prettiest of matches – conditions aren’t easy, it’s different every day, finals are tough too. I was just trying to maximise and get the most out of today and play as well as we could. It was good to get through and I tried my hardest.

“Hopefully Jack still wants to take me to Nottingham – he offered to drive us!”