British number four Melanie South celebrated her birthday on an impressive trip to Japan last week where she reached the semi-finals of the $50,000 ITF event in Gifu.

The Surrey native, who turned 22 on Saturday, stormed through the draw of the indoor carpet tournament with straight sets victories in the first two rounds.

South eventually fell in a close semi-final to Japan veteran Kimiko Date, who capped an amazing comeback week with a 7-6(5) 6-3 victory to reach the final.

Former world number four Date, 37, was playing her first professional tournament for 12 years.

South and Dutchwoman Nicole Thyssen also succumbed Date and school girl Kurumi Nara 6-1 6-7 10-7 in the doubles final.

In the $10,000 Bournemouth claycourt event, 18-year-old home favourite Yasmin Clarke of Derby reached the semi-finals before falling to Dutch sixth seed Leonie Mekel 6-4 2-6 6-0.

Mekel had already beaten 17-year-old Kent prospect Amanda Cunningham 6-4 6-2 in the quarter-finals and went on to win the title.

Clarke and Elizabeth Thomas did manage to claim the doubles title in Bournemouth, however, beating fourth seeded compatriot Amy Sargeant and Portugal's Catarina Ferreira 6-2 4-6 12-10 in the final.

Anna Fitzpatrick and Anna Hawkins partnered up to win the hardcourt doubles title in the $25,000 tournament in Coatzacoalcos, Mexico beating Argentines Maria Irigoyen and Agustina Lepore 6-2 6-2 in the final.

In the $100,000 claycourt event in Cagnes-Sur-Mer, France, Anna Smith and her Ukrainian partner Yevhenlla Savranska reached the doubles semi-finals.

On the men's circuit, meanwhile, British number three Alex Bogdanovic beat second seed Gilles Muller 5-7 6-3 6-4 to reach the quarter-finals of the 42,500 euro hardcourt Challenger event in Lanzarote, Spain.

Jamie Delgado and Portugese partner Frederico Gil reached the semi-finals of the doubles draw at the $125,000 Challenger in Tunisia.

Back in Bournemouth, Lancashire's Ken Skupski teamed up with Frenchman Ludovic Walter to beat Britons Ed Seator and Dan Smethurst 7-6(2) 2-6 10-6 in the doubles final.

Jeremy Stahl / Eurosport