DENIS Kudla received one of his most important phone calls just minutes after winning the Aegon Ilkley Trophy on Saturday.

The message for the 22-year-old American was from Wimbledon referee Andrew Jarrett to tell him that he has been given a wild card into the men's singles at the All England Club next week (starting Monday, June 29).

Although Kudla has already played at Wimbledon in 2013 and 2014, the Australian Open for three of the last four years, the US Open in 2012 and 2013 and the French Open in 2013, the world No 131 still seemed a little stunned.

Kudla, who defeated Matthew Ebden 6-3, 6-4 in the Ilkley final, was meeting the Australian for the second successive weekend after the latter had defeated him 6-7 (4-7), 6-4, 7-6 (7-5) in a 2hr 24min final at Surbiton.

Kiev-born Kudla explained: "It was heart-breaking last weekend as I was 5-3 and 40-15 ahead in the third set and lost, despite having those two match points, with Matthew getting a wild card into Wimbledon.

"Then five minutes after winning at Ilkley, I got a phone call from the Wimbledon referee telling me I had got a wild card."

In yesterday's women's singles final, fourth seed Anna-Lena Friedsam (Germany) defeated fifth seed Magda Linette (Poland) 7-5, 3-6, 6-1 in a tense, gruelling 2hr 24min final in which both players needed medical time-outs.

Fifth seed Linette was treated for a shoulder injury, while fourth seed Friedsam suffered from abdominal cramps, and the latter said: "It was a tough match.

"Magda always keeps the ball in court but I tried to be more aggressive, especially with my serve after I went off for treatment."

Doubles winners were third seeds Marcus Daniell (New Zealand) – winner of the ITF Men's Futures tournament for the past two years – and Marcelo Demoliner (Brazil) and fourth seeds Raluca Olaru (Romania) and China's Yi-Fan Xu.

This was the first time that Ilkley have staged a Challenger-level tournament, and Friedsam added: "It has been unbelievably well-organised and the courts have played good."