Nottingham, UK, 10 June 2014 | tennis.com.au

Marinko Matosevic’s transition from clay to grass has been an impressively smooth one after the Australian went all the way to the final of AEGON Trophy ATP Challenger event in Nottingham.

Matosevic ultimately lost 6-4 6-3 in the final to a resurgent Marcos Baghdatis, but only after a solid week on the lawns that saw him drop just one set en route to the final and defeat the in-form Gilles Muller in the semifinals.

After winning his first career Grand Slam main draw match at Roland Garros a fortnight ago, the final appearance in Nottingham bodes well ahead of Wimbledon, where he will attempt replicate or event improve upon that result in Paris.

This week he is taking part in the ATP 250 event at London’s Queen’s Club.

For Baghdatis, the victory in Nottingham saw him win his first title in almost four-and-a-half years; he last triumphed at the Apia International in Sydney 2010.