JASON Kubler is heading to Wimbledon on a high after winning the Lexus Ilkley Trophy.

A semi-finalist five years ago, the 30-year-old Australian defeated Austria’s Sebastian Ofner 6-4, 6-4 in front of a packed Centre Court crowd at Ilkley Lawn Tennis & Squash Club.

After a career that has been blighted by six knee operations and knowing that another would finish him off, the current Australian Open men’s doubles champion said after winning his first grass-court title: “It feels special.

“I have had a good grass-court season, reaching the quarter-finals at Surbiton and having a pretty tough match against Ugo Humbert at s’Hertogenbosch last week.”

Added Kubler, who is playing on grass in Mallorca next week: “Having plenty of matches on grass has been the main goal, I am super happy and I hope that the good results keep coming.”

As for his final against Ofner, he said: “Sebastian is a great player who can play on all surfaces, but I executed my game pretty well and he double faulted in the two games where I broke him.

“I put a good return in at 30-30 in the second set and then he double faulted, but in all of these matches it is just a point here or there, and if I had lost them it could definitely have gone the other way.

“It was good to win five successive matches, including some three-setters. It was important to get that winning feeling, and last year I didn’t have a single grass-court match going into Wimbledon.

“I have good memories of qualifying there twice and, last year, making the fourth round, and I am definitely feeling comfortable on the surface.”

The final of the $100,000 ITF Women’s World Tour event was between Sweden’s Mirjam Bjorklund and top seed Emma Navarro (United States).

World No.175 Bjorklund caused a minor upset by defeating world No.68 Navarro 6-4, 7-5 in 1hr 38min in a contest of many service breaks and got quite emotional afterwards as she thanked her mum for supporting her.

“I liked it last year at Ilkley and I like it even more now,” said the 24-year-old from Stockholm.

“It feels incredible and I could not be happier, but it is about small margins.”