Norfolk professional Richard Bloomfield's season has taken a positive turn in the last 10 days with a handful of wins to end his recent poor run.

Bloomfield reached the quarter-finals of the $10k Futures event in Newcastle last week and has come through qualifying to make the main draw of the $30k Challenger in Cremona, Italy this week.

It took three long sets against qualifier Oliver Hudson for Bloomfield to reach the second round in Newcastle, eventually prevailing 5-7, 6-4, 7-6. The final set tie break was 11-9.

Bloomfield was more business-like in the second round, seeing off James Feaver 6-4, 6-4 in steady fashion.

His run ended at the hands of second seed Jonathan Dasnieres de Veigy 6-4, 6-1 but a pair of wins under his belt will have done his confidence no harm.

Then, it was on to Cremona and a bye through the first round of qualifying. Local wildcard Carlo Particelli was ruthlessly dispatched 6-1, 6-0 to set up a clash with Austria's Martin Slanar.

The spring was back in Bloomfield's step and the 28-year-old from Alpington booked his place in the main draw with a break in each set; sealing a 6-4, 7-5 victory.

Bloomfield will face world number 265 Matwe Middelkoop of the Netherlands in the first round proper today. It is the first time the pair have met as professionals.

• A glorious, sunny late spring day greeted 21 pairs of ladies at the East Anglia Tennis & Squash Club for the second annual Libby Ferris Ladies Open Doubles Charity Tournament.

The pairs were divided into boxes for the initial round robin stage, playing for 20 minutes after which the top two pairs in each box went through to the quarter finals.

The semi-finals were closely contested with Cheryl Buck and Annie Cowper-Johnson beating Val Woodhouse and Belinda Cammell (all from Cromer) and Jo Gowing and Susanna Cooper beating Liz Cubitt and Jo Watkins.

The final was a one-set tie-break match which, having yo-yoed to 3-3, saw Gowing and Cooper take the final three games to win 6-3.

A raffle in aid of Macmillan Cancer Support raised more than �280. Libby Ferris Flowers sponsored the tournament.

• Next month's Vanilla Ladies Doubles tournament is full.

The seventh annual Louise Willgrass Memorial Tournament is on Wednesday, September 14. Entry forms will be available soon.