Leonnie MacLoughlin, top seed in the Vitamin Water Open, began her quest for a first local title at the WER Joell Tennis Stadium yesterday when she eased past youngster Cayla Cross 6-1, 6-0.

The victory came just a day after Cross and her partner, Tara Lambert, had upset the top-seeded veteran pair of Laverne Stowe and Alison Towlson in the ladies’ doubles.

But what a difference a day makes, as Cross, although showing no signs of nerves, simply wasn’t allowed to get into any kind of rhythm by her more experienced opponent.

MacLoughlin, rising to become the second ranked player on the Island in less than a year, mastered the high winds almost from the start while it took Cross some time to get her game together, although she did open by holding her serve at 30.

But that was the extent of her success as MacLoughlin won 12 straight games to take the match and set up a potential mouthwatering clash with former top player in Bermuda Zara DeSilva in Saturday’s final.

DeSilva must first beat the winner of the Louisa Freisenbruch and Veronica Dunkerley contest.

MacLoughlin returned to beat Cross less than 24 hours after teaming with her husband Seamus to stun the second seeded combination of Laverne Stowe and Jacob Trott in a classic three-hour mixed doubles battle.

With the match continuing late into the night, the MacLoughlins came from a set down to topple the favourites 5-7, 6-3, 6-4.

After the first set there was never any doubt over the final outcome as Leonnie committed only three unforced errors during the entire match in a phenomenal show of accuracy.

Meanwhile Catherine Cooke, the top seed in the Ladies’ B division, defeated Robin Thackeray 6-0, 6-1 while Gill Butterfield and Veronica Dunkerley beat Shonette Wilson and Yuko Girard 6-4, 6-4 and Andy Bray and Roger Marshall scored a surprisingly easy straight sets victory over Sam Maybury and Andrew Payner 6-1, 6-1. Maybury recovered quickly and yesterday teamed with Greg Slayton to defeat Phil Cooper and Paul Towlson 6-2, 6-3, while Towlson’s son, Neil, held up the family name with a hard fought 7-6 (5), 6-4 victory over fellow teenager Alexander Cooper.