JONATHAN Birkett and Omer Butt put on a suitably spirited show in the final of the Elton Vale men's tennis championships following a mayoral visit to officially open the sports club's newly refurbished courts.

Mayor of Bury Councillor Mike Connolly and his consort, Ian Hargreaves, inspected the work completed by the club following a £29,000 grant from Viridor Credits, the charity arm of the waste treatment firm.

Butt, reigning champion and eight-times winner of Elton Vale's singles title, then went head-to-head with 18-year-old Birkett, a five-time former winner of the club's junior crown.

They produced a titanic tussle befitting of the final, locking horns for more than two-and-a-half hours before youth finally prevailed, Birkett claiming his first senior title with a 6-4, 2-6, 7-6 (7-5) victory.

The former Bolton Road Sports Club moved to their current site in Elton Vale Road in 2000. Its three tennis courts had begun to show signs of wear and tear, but following the Viridor grant the club has been able to re-surface and paint them, as well as install new post sockets, nets and fencing.

It is not the first time Elton Vale has been helped by Viridor, with a grant helping to pay for a new cricket scoreboard in 2011.

Club chairman Steve Flaherty said: "We are really grateful to Viridor Credits for their support, once again. It now guarantees tennis at Elton Vale until at least 2032."

After the official opening, the mayor was also an interested spectator as young tennis players, aged six to 15, took part in a junior coaching session, showcasing their skills on the two courts adjacent to the men's final.