Ilkley champions Monica Niculescu and Dominik Koepfer earn Wimbledon wild cards

The self-proclaimed ‘Wimbledon of the North’ saw its final action as Romania’s Monica Niculescu added her 23rd singles career title as she ran out victorious in the women’s singles final (6-2, 4-6, 6-3), at the expense of Hungary’s world No 139, and French Open 2019 women’s doubles winner, Timea Babos.

Slovakia’s Jana Cepelova was the semi-final scalp for Niculescu, who found herself extending her stay in Yorkshire after recovering from a disappointing second set to snatch the win in the third, 6-4 0-6 6-4.

Niculescu said: “This was my first time in Ilkley and I am so happy to have won.

“I have had a tough year due to injury but now I have a wild card to Wimbledon, I’m delighted,” she said.

“I heard a rumour that the winner received a wild card, but I couldn’t believe them, now I know it’s true – I cannot ask for more.”

The men’s singles had already thrown up several shock exits, as not one of the top five seeds claimed a place in the final two – but it was the unseeded Dominik Koepfer who, just a few hours earlier, assured it was his name etched on to the men’s singles Ilkley Trophy.

He overcame Austria’s Dennis Novak in a dramatic final set tie break – winning 3-6 6-3 7-6 –to claim his first ATP Challenger title, and like Niculescu, earn a wild card entry into Wimbledon.

Koepfer had booked his place in the final with a straight sets victory 6-4 6-1 over Japanese, Go Soeda in the semi-final.

The German had also knocked out top seed, Ugo Humbert, in the quarter-final, putting an end to the young Frenchman’s hopes of a fifth ATP Challenger title.

Koepfer said: “I knew what was on the line, the chance to play in my third grand slam – so I was a little nervous, but I found a way to win.

“I’m going to London tonight, taking a couple of days off to recover and then get ready for next week.

“Ilkley is an unbelievable tournament and a great organisation. The people are friendly, and a lot of them come to watch so it’s very special.

“Ilkley is a nice little town; I’ve been to the same place for dinner every night, so I have a few superstitions.

“The wild card was on my mind the whole match, last night it was all I could think about – that’s what you play for and it’s a big opportunity for me,” Koepfer concluded.

Saturday saw the finals of the men’s and women’s doubles pan out on Centre court.

The men’s final was contested by the two top seeded pairs, as Mexico’s Santiago Gonzalez and Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi of Pakistan were presented with the trophy, having advanced past second seeds, New Zealand’s Marcus Daniell, and India’s 18-time grand-slam winner, Leander Paes.

Forty-six-year-old Paes, who turned professional in 1991, missed out on the chance to add his 56th doubles career title as he faced defeat in straight sets 6-3 6-4.

The women’s doubles final continued to reaffirm that it was the year of the underdog.

The tournament’s unseeded surprise pairing, Beatriz Haddad Maia and Luisa Stefani, defied the odds once again in the final, overcoming third-seeded Australians, Ellen Perez and Arina Rodionova – winning 6-4 6-7 1-0 – to lift the title in Yorkshire with the Brazilian duo producing a dominant display in the championship tiebreak.

Haddad Maia and Stefani had previously defeated the competition’s top seeds in Irina-Camelia Begu and singles champion, Niculescu.