Amy Bowtell (© Tennis Ireland)

Wicklow teenager Amy Bowtell started her season in style by reaching the final of the $10k ITF event in Sutton, England.

The unseeded world number 561 faced a higher ranked opponent in every round but fought her way through to a final where she came up short against top seed Richel Hogenkamp (#303) 6-3, 6-2.

The 18-year-old then put the disappointment of losing her second tour final behind her to pick up her third doubles title – partnering Quirine Lemoine of the Netherlands to victory over French pair Elixane Lechemia and Irina Ramialison in the final.

On the men’s side, it was another week of hard luck stories.

Louk Sorensen marked his recall to Ireland’s Davis Cup squad in rather typical fashion, retiring injured against Kevin Krawietz (#333) in the second round of their $10k Futures match in Stuttgart.

James McGee also picked up an injury in losing a tight encounter top seed Jerzy Janowicz (#221) in the opening round at the $15k tournament in Sheffield.

McGee went down 7-5 in the third set and was forced to withdraw from this week’s Futures event in Russia but tweeted that he should be fine for Davis Cup.

James Cluskey was another player on the wrong end of a tight scoreline in week three with he and partner Nils Desein, the top seeds, bowing out in the quarter-final of the $10k F1 Futures in France to local pair Constant Lestienne and Romain Sichez 10-8 in a match tiebreak.

As mentioned earlier, the other main news from week three was the announcement of the Davis Cup squad to face Hungary in Europe-Africa zone Group II next month.

Sorensen has been named in the side for the first time since 2009 and is joined by Conor Niland, James McGee and Sam Barry, who is called up for the first time, with Cluskey the man to miss out.

The tie will be played indoors on carpet in the southern Hungary city of Szeged and begins on February 10.