Number one seed Dane Sweeny has claimed his maiden Perth title defeating West Aussie local Scott Jones in straight sets in the singles final.
The win makes it six ITF singles titles since June this year and three consecutive titles after taking out the two M25’s in Tamworth in September.
Sweeny was too good for Jones, winning 6-1 6-3 in one hour and 25 minutes in front of a healthy crowd despite the cold weather.
Sweeny was pushed at times on his way to the final, coming from a set down against fellow Aussie wildcard Enzo Aguiard. The 24-year-old earlier in the day defeated Australian Pavle Marinkov in the semi final after failing to complete the match due to yesterday’s rain.
The surprise of the tournament was local wildcard Scott Jones. Jones received a wildcard after winning the WA Open and took his impressive form into the Pro Tour, defeating third seed Kaichi Uchida then coming from a set down to defeat Tai Sach on his way to the final.
Sweeny had massive praise for the West Australian, knowing that the final was going to be a tough battle.
“Jones is a tough opponent and makes a lot of balls, so the key was to keep a level head and stay patient with my shot selections.”
“I think my level headiness is what kept me calm and tactically playing very smart throughout the match,” said Sweeny.
Sweeny put it down to hard work and perseverance for his recent burst of form.
“I went through a really tough 12-18 months, and I just tried to keep my head down in that period when I wasn’t getting results.”
The key was to keep showing up every day and getting the most out of myself every day, it was bound to pay off eventually and now I think I am reaping my rewards now.”
“I’ve loved playing in Perth so far. Last time I was here I was 10 years old, and I don’t really remember anything so it’s nice to be back.”
“It’s always nice playing in Australia, the set up here is unreal and obviously the beaches are beautiful here,” said Sweeny.
The pair will now enjoy a couple of days off before turning their attention to the Perth Tennis International ITF M25 #2 where the main draw will start this Tuesday.
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