THERE is no doubt that Arun Bahia is one of the more interesting members at Ilkley Lawn Tennis & Squash Club.

But even he was pushing the boundaries when he was trailing Devon’s Stefan Cooper 6-0 in the men’s singles second qualifying round at the LTA British Tour Grade Two event at Ilkley.

In for a penny, in for a pound thought 20-year-old Bahia so he asked the Devonian at the change of ends after the first set how to beat him.

The University of Sheffield economics student explained his unusual request, saying: “I was trying to lull him into a false sense of security, trying to get him to drop his guard.

“And it nearly worked because he did drop his guard and I raised my level and only lost the second set 6-4.”

Bahia, who sometimes lacks focus in matches but does not lack intelligence, even threw in a few underarm serves, a tactic that worked as Cooper tried to match him and netted every one.

Cooper has lost in the last 16 of British Tour events this year at West Worthing and Edgbaston, and Bahia, who has an ambition to write a sitcom one day, said: “Stefan has a very strong serve, doesn’t give much away for free and finds the lines.”

Bahia’s first-round opponent Sebastian McDonnell-Palomares was a different kettle of fish to the powerful Cooper.

Bahia won that initial match 7-6 (9-7), 2-6, 10-5, and admitted: “I had to be the counter-puncher against Stefan, whereas against Sebastian I had to be the aggressor.

“As for my tennis it is just a matter of a week at a time and trying to be better than I was last week, and I am either studying or playing tennis.”

Bahia wasn’t the only home club member in action as JB Pickard also won his first-round clash, defeating Kai Van-Roon Collins 6-1, 6-3, but Tom Horsley went out 6-3, 6-3 to Cheshire’s Matthew Earnshaw.

There were also wins for Yorkshire’s Alexander Tikhonov and Scott Hillerby.

The final qualifying round for the men’s singles will be played tomorrow, when both rounds of the women’s singles qualifying will be held.

The main draws start on Wednesday and the finals will be played on Saturday.