IPSWICH-based Amanda Janes, who returned to the tennis circuit this July having graduated in English at Cambridge, has won the first title since her comeback.

IPSWICH-based Amanda Janes, who returned to the tennis circuit this July having graduated in English at Cambridge, has won the first title since her comeback.

Janes has struggled to make an impact at the $10,000 and $25,000 level. But in an effort to string some wins together, she kick-started her career on the Hastings Direct Tour at Wrexham.

"I was short of match practice and I felt that it would be nice to win some matches and earn some money before Christmas," said Janes having received £350 for beating Scotland's Karen Paterson 6-3 6-3 in the final.

"I hope that at the beginning of next year I can afford to go abroad somewhere before I begin to play the Satellites here. The Hastings events are very good for helping you do that."

Janes, whose three-year spell at university has neither dulled her powerful serve nor her competitive spark, reached the final without dropping her serve once.

And against the Scottish 20-year-old she also held every service game.

"It was a very quick match," said Janes, who is coached by her mother Christine Janes (formerly Truman).

"It went on serve so there weren't many rallies. She hits it really hard so it was quite difficult to get into the rallies.

"Up until 4-3 neither of us could return the other's serve – there wasn't much in it really. I got a few more in and when she did start to miss it I attacked her second serve a bit more."

"I broke her at 4-3 then held serve to win the set. In the second, I broke in the first game then I held serve all the way through then broke her at 5-3 as well."

With the Hastings Direct Tour moving to closer to home at Redbridge next week, Janes can expect a far higher level of competition in the shape of former GB number one Lucie Ahl from Devon, Surrey's ex-national champion, Hannah Collin and Selimar Sfar from Tunisia.

"It will be interesting to see how I compare to them," admitted Janes. "At Cambridge I didn't play a lot of tennis. In the first year I rowed and played tennis about once a week, in the second I was tennis captain so I played more but in my third year I really didn't play much at all.

"It's been a struggle getting fit again but I do feel it's coming back. I am enjoying it though I've found it hard over the past month.

"I think in a few months it be will be a truer picture of what I can be. Maybe the other side of Christmas I can make more strides with my ranking."