You can put your house on Goodall after third straight Ilkley triumph (From Ilkley Gazette)

You can put your house on Goodall after third straight Ilkley triumph

7:43pm Sunday 15th July 2012 in Sport By Bill Marshall, T&A Sports Reporter

After years of investing in his tennis career, Josh Goodall has decided to invest in bricks and mortar.

The 26-year-old Maidenhead-based player revealed after winning the JM Glendinning Group International Tournament at Ilkley for a third successive year yesterday: “I am buying a house with my girlfriend Hannah Stone, who works for the Middlesex LTA as tennis development officer.

“I have been funding myself for three or four years and all my savings have gone towards our house, and that is why I am playing at this level to try and win more money.”

With a world ranking of 215, the British No 4 could be playing Challenger tournaments – a level above the $10,000 total prize fund at Ilkley – but reckons it will be more lucrative to play at the Futures level.

Goodall, who names his rackets after players from his beloved Chelsea (‘Drogba’ was his weapon of choice on yesterday) pocketed $1,300 (£832) for winning the singles by defeating eighth-seeded fellow Briton Ed Corrie 6-4, 6-1 in 84 minutes.

It was the British Davis Cup player’s fourth title of the year and marked the eighth straight year that he has won a Futures event in Great Britain.

Hertfordshire-based Corrie saved two break points in making it 3-3 in the first set but could not capitalise on three chances to break at 4-4, Goodall winning five straight points to hold serve before taking the next game to win the opening set.

Having lost that 49-minute first set, 24-year-old Corrie was disappointed in his lack of mental strength in the second set, Goodall breaking twice to take it and the match.

The champion added: “Playing at Wimbledon helped me financially and showed me that matches come down to the odd point or two.

“I am probably fitter than I have ever been and I have won nine tournaments in the last 13 months.

“Now I will take a holiday before playing more Futures events and trying to qualify for the US Open.”

Corrie, whose calendar is strictly European for the next few months, was soon back on court in the men’s doubles final, partnering 20-year-old Ed Burton from Sidcup in Kent.

The latter helped Corrie to get over his singles defeat, the top seeds making short work of 18-year-old unseeded Australians Andrew Harris and Andrew Whittington, who were beaten 6-1, 6-1 in just 46 minutes.

The tournament was played entirely indoors, apart from Thursday when the players had a brief go on the grass.

This was the last year of the five-year sponsorship deal from Ilkley-based JM Glendinning, whose life and pensions director Andrew Holmes said: “The tournament has served its purpose for us and we hope we have helped the club.”