MARTON Fucsovics buried his head in his hands after the Aegon Ilkley Trophy ATP Challenger final.

The 25-year-old Hungarian, who was sitting in his chair, had just heard that he had won a wild card into the men’s singles at next week’s Wimbledon.

Having played qualifying at Roehampton five times in the past six years and never made it through (he missed 2012 but made it to the final qualifying round in 2014 and 2015), he knows what an advantage a wild card is.

Fucsovics, who beat Australian qualifier Alex Bolt 6-1, 6-4 in yesterday’s final, was told the good news over the microphone by tournament director Charlie Maunder during the on-court presentation for the $150,000 tournament.

In scenes that were reminiscent of Denis Kudla’s victory at Ilkley in 2015, the 25-year-old Hungarian, who won the boys’ singles title at Wimbledon in 2010 on the way to becoming world junior No 1, said: “It was quite emotional.

“I was expecting to go to qualifying and try and win three matches.”

Fucsovics, who saved break points on his own serve in the first and fifth games of the opening set but played the more consistent tennis overall, said: “I was pretty confident as I had been playing well all week.”

His tournament started by defeating top seed Victor Estrella Burgos (Dominican Republic), and he just carried that form on in the next four matches.

Fucsovics led 5-0 before Bolt got on the board, but had saved a break point in the first game and three more in the fifth game against a talented but erratic opponent.

The Hungarian, who sometimes draped himself in a towel at change of ends to keep himself warm, missed two break points in the first game of the second set but broke for 4-3 when the Australian netted a low backhand volley, Bolt then being warned for ball abuse after slamming one towards the clubhouse.

However, Australian Open doubles quarter-finalist Bolt broke straight back after a game of four deuces, only to immediately lose his own delivery by putting a forehand volley wide. But Bolt had a point to make it 5-5, but Fucsovics hung on to take the title.

Bolt, a 24-year-old left-hander from Murray Bridge, near Adelaide, had done well to reach the final but took six months off from the sport last year because he had lost his passion.

That has clearly come back but he needs to eradicate the wildness of some of his shots if he is to improve his world ranking from 438.

Bolt said: “Marton played really well to keep ahead, and all credit to him, but I just couldn’t quite get into the groove that I had earlier in the week. However, it was such a strong tournament that I didn’t even know whether I would get into qualifying, let alone qualify.”

After Thursday’s near wash-out, both the men’s and women’s singles quarter-finals and semi-finals were played on Saturday.

Magdalena Rybarikova was a deserving winner of the $100,000 ITF Women’s Futures tournament, defeating Belgium’s Alison van Uytvanck 7-5, 7-6 (7-3) in the final, which followed the men on Centre Court.

Rybarikova was the more solid player and, although van Uytvanck threatened to make it set all, she seemed to be off balance more frequently than her opponent.

“I was feeling confident as I have been playing well,” said the Slovakian world No 107, who won Surbiton a fortnight ago and was a semi-finalist at Nottingham last week before winning Ilkley. Also I like playing grass as I won my first WTA title at Birmingham when I was 19.

“I like playing Alison as we both serve well and hit good forehands and backhands, but this time is the first time that I have beaten her in four matches, but this was our first meeting on grass.”

Rybarikova is a direct entrant into Wimbledon on her world ranking of 107. Van Uytvanck, who has moved up to first reserve for Wimbledon, said: “I made too many mistakes.”

Men’s doubles winner Leander Paes of India, who won the title with Adil Shamasdin (Canada) on Saturday, said: “The Yorkshire hospitality is great – as good as the Yorkshire puddings! I hope to come back next year.”

Top seeds Paes and Shamasdin defeated Britons Brydan Klein and Joe Salisbury 2-6, 6-2,10-8, while in the women’s doubles, Russians Anna Blinkova and Alla Kudryavtseva beat Paula Kania (Poland) and Maryna Zanevska (Belgium) 6-1, 6-4.

The tournament was voted the fourth most scenic on the 2016 ATP Challenger Tour.