THERE was no second LTA British Tour title for Jordan Reed-Thomas at Ilkley Lawn Tennis & Squash Club.

The 28-year-old from Leeds, a winner two years ago and a semi-finalist last year, was defeated 4-2, 4-3 (5) by top seed Patrick Foley in the men’s singles final.

An atrocious week’s weather meant that all of the matches were played indoors using the Fast 4 format, and Yorkshire player Reed-Thomas, from Headingley, was philosophical about the final.

He said of his match against fellow 28-year-old Foley: “It is good to come and challenge yourself against good players, and he was better today.

“Any match in a Fast 4 format (sudden-death deuces, regular tie-break at 3-3 and a champions’ tie-break if the match goes to a third set) will come down to fine margins to decide it and they came early in the set.”

The best point of the match was the last, a thrilling rally, and Reed-Thomas said: “I wish the whole match had been like that, but I have had a good week and really enjoyed it.”

The semi-finals were played on Saturday morning, with fourth seed Reed-Thomas beating qualifier Kyle Mckay from Scotland 4-3, 4-2, and Foley, who has an impressive all-round game, defeating Oxfordshire PE teacher Sam Edwards, seeded sixth, 4-0, 4-3.

Sarah Copley, from Sheffield, who was seeded eighth, was beaten 4-1, 4-0 by sixth seed Ellie Blackford, from Essex, in the women’s singles decider.

Copley, 16, who was nowhere near her best in the final, edged past Sophya Devas 4-2, 1-4, 10-8 in the semi-fials, while 17-year-old Blackford, from Chelmsford, despatched fifth seed Teodora Prisadnikova 4-1, 4-1.

Abbeydale member Copley is going to play full-time tennis for two years from next month before deciding whether to continue or go to university.

Foley would like to give full-time tennis a go, but firstly needs to complete the final year of his masters degree at Cambridge University in genomic medicine.

He said of the Fast 4 format: “I have had a couple of matches that have been really close and managed to come out on top, but haven’t felt comfortable at any time.

“Both the semi-final and final were pretty tight, but I managed to get a good start in both, especially the semi-final, but in both matches my opponents came back pretty well in the second set.

“However, I managed to find a big shot at the right time to come through in both of them, and the last point of the final was the best point I played all week with both of us really going for it.”

Foley added: “It was disappointing not to get out on the grass as they are great courts and it is a great club, but I am happy with the way it has gone.”

As for the future, Foley said: “I would love to give tennis a go full-time, and it would be a bit of a dream, but I have some funding issues.

“Results for me nationally haven’t gone very well this year, but I have had a couple of tough draws, and if I start to do better, I might take a year out and see how it goes.

“I have never been full-time before, but I have been close to it as I was doing an Open University course over six years and was able to train full-time but do exams.”

Blackford, who has completed the first year of her A Levels in politics, geography and Spanish, was delighted to win her first British Tour title, and said: “I have made semi-finals before and two finals (Sheffield and Stirling last year), but never won so this is really exciting.

“I put quite a lot of pressure on myself and have beaten Sarah before at Loughborough and Aldershot in ITFs in straight sets, but anything can happen in Fast 4s and she can play some unbelievable tennis.

“However, I kept calm and kept my head throughout the whole tournament, which I am really happy with.

“We had two disputed line calls but that happens when you have no umpires, and we are both used to it, and you just have to crack on.

“My tactics against Sarah was to be solid, play the ball deep, keep her behind the baseline and make her impatient and go for wild shots, but also to use a change of pace as she hits the ball very flat and give her different heights of shots.”

Blackford added: “I want to go to college in the US next August on a tennis scholarship and have been talking to various universities, and then see afterwards if I can go pro.”

Before that, however, Blackford will play the British Tour event at Sutton next week before playing in qualifying for some $15,000 and $25,000 ITF events.