WHAT Barney Fitzpatrick has done this week at Ilkley Lawn Tennis & Squash Club has been nothing short of remarkable.

Some three-and-a-half years ago, the 22-year-old from Leeds was told that he would never play tennis again.

Yet, in his comeback tournament after suffering from Meniere’s disease, the son of former Ilkey LT&SC performance coach Nick is through to today’s quarter-finals of the men’s singles at the LTA Lexus British Tour Grade Two tournament.

After his 6-2, 6-4 defeat of Ilkley’s JB Pickard in the last 16, Adel-based Fitzpatrick said: “I suffered from vertigo and I am deaf in my left ear, but I have had a lot of treatment and now I feel good again, although my ear has been destroyed.

“A doctor three and a half years ago told me that I would never play tennis again, and the first time that I knocked up against a wall I had to stop after five minutes due to dizziness.”

He confessed: “I have surprised myself how well I have done. It was good to beat JB, and on Monday I had a good win against Kai-Luca Ampaw, who has played at Junior Wimbledon.”

Fitzpatrick admitted: “It feels good to be back on court and get a couple of wins under my belt, although I haven’t been playing great and I am a bit tired.”

As for his match against 21-year-old Pickard, Fitzpatrick said: “I played really well, although I was not really aggressive enough in the second set, but I could see that he was tiring.”

A full report on the quarters, semis and final will be published online next week, with a tournament round up in Thursday's Ilkley Gazette.