ILKLEY Lawn Tennis & Squash Club seem to have chosen the optimum nine days to host their initial ATP Challenger and ITF Women's Pro Circuit tournaments.

"The entry is more like an ATP Tour or WTA Tour event. It is the perfect 'week'," said ATP supervisor Ed Hardisty.

"The cut off for qualifying here was 349, whereas the cut off for the main draw at the same level of a tournament this week in Uzebekistan, both with 32-strong main draws, was 563.

"One doubles pair (Nice winners Mate Pavic and Michael Venus) came to Ilkley on Friday to try and get into the singles qualifying and couldn't, went down to Queens to try and get in the qualifying and couldn't so came back up to Ilkley and they are the top seeds in the men's doubles."

A doubles expert who tested himself in the men's qualifying was former Wimbledon champion Freddie Nielsen – who won the title with Sheffield's Jonny Marray in 2012.

However, their achievements pale into insignificance when compared to Cara Black and Lisa Raymond, who are top seeds in the women's doubles.

Black has won Wimbledon three times and the Australian Open, while Raymond has won the US Open three times, Wimbledon twice and the Australian Open once, and reached seven other Grand Slam finals.

It demonstrates the drawing power of preparing for Wimbledon on grass at this time of year compared to playing on hard courts in Uzebekistan.

Nielsen and Great Britain Davis Cup hero Dan Evans were among the casualties of qualifying, alongside six other Britons, of whom only wild cards Alexander Ward and David Rice – twice a runner-up in the less important ITF Futures tournament at Ilkley – made it to the second round.

However, with the weather set reasonably fair, the crowds apparently better than last week's ATP Tournament at Nottingham and the courts seemingly playing as well as they have ever done, the main draw of the men's and women's singles will feature plenty more British interest tomorrow.