BURY’S Steve Darlington served up his first senior men’s singles title when he starred at the Bolton Tennis Tournament.

The Holcombe Brook player beat under-18 boys’ champion Will Hart 6-2, 7-6 in the July 19 final at Leverhulme Pavilion on Chorley New Road.

And although delighted with the victory, Darlington was also surprised to finally scoop his first title at the tournament since winning the inaugural boys’ singles event in 1983.

He said: “I was very happy with my performances throughout the tournament and delighted to win my second title 33 years after winning my first. But I did not expect to win it.

“I was seeded 10th favourite to win the tournament and nobody expected me to win it either, so it was quite a good effort from me.”

The 47-year-old, who believes he is the oldest men’s singles winner, claimed his first title at 15.

He said: “Winning it in 1983 was a lot easier when I was a lot younger and fitter. The contest took a lot out of me. I had to win five matches in a week and at my age that is not easy.”

Markland Hill’s Hart had already won the under-18 boys’ title by the time he came up against Darlington in the senior final.

The teenager was a little nervous in the first set before settling in and taking the second to a tie break which Darlington eventually won, much to his relief.

Darlington said: “I won the first set comfortably but he ran me close in the second set before I finally won 7-6 on a tie break.

“I won the tie-break 8-6 on my seventh match point after Hart had saved the other six.

“I was relieved when it was all over as I was beginning to think it was not going to happen.

“I think if it had gone to a third set I would have lost because I would have run out of steam.”

Darlington, who lives in Holcombe Brook, missed out on another appearance in a final when he and partner Mark Hartley lost to Danny Philbin and Dean Moore in the semi-finals of the men’s doubles. The match had great tennis, disputed line calls and went to the wire with a third-set tie break. Philbin and Moores got an early advantage, taking both points on Darlington’s serve. This helped them close out the match, winning the tie-break 7-2.

Darlington is yet to decide if he will go on to defend his title at next year’s event.

He said: “It will depend on my fitness. If I feel okay then I probably will compete again. As the years go by my chances of winning it become less and less. So sometimes it can be better to just go out on a high rather than take the risk of going out in the first round next year.

“All the kids coming through are getting better and better every year and harder and harder to beat so I am glad I managed to win it this year.”

There was treble-winning success for Darlington’s Holcombe Brook club-mate Laurie Clark, and the senior champion is impressed with the quality of the youngsters at the club.

He said: “Things are going very well with the new tennis club now open and the standard of youngsters coming through impresses me.

“I beat one of the Brook’s upcoming lads, Jordan Hall, in the semi-finals. He is only 18 but he is looking like a good player.”

Clark romped to the women’s title with a resounding 6-1, 6-1 victory over Rebecca Baldwin.

She was finals day’s star performer as she came away with three titles.

Clark had to work harder in the women’s doubles. She and partner Annabel Rowlands (Bellingham) were given a tough ride by Lostock’s Maria Fallon and Louise Taylor.

Clark and Rowlands edged the first set 7-5 and won the second 6-2.

Clark was also successful in the mixed doubles, this with her partner Charlie Foley. They were victorious in an all-Holcombe Brook final against Darlington and Sue Lawson. The wildly fluctuating match ended 6-1, 1-6, 6-1.

Holcombe were again represented in the men’s doubles final but were on the losing side.

Charley Foley and David Waring started slowly, with Danny Philbin and Dean Moore taking the first set 6-1.

Foley and Waring forced a second-set tie break but could not take it to a final set.