Scott Clayton: Jersey tennis player eyes move up to Challenger Tour in 2017

Scott Clayton won team and men's doubles gold and singles silver at the 2015 Island Games

Jersey tennis player Scott Clayton hopes to move to higher-ranked tournaments in 2017.

The 22-year-old, who is ranked 698 in the world in singles and 337 in doubles, hopes to move to Challenger Tour events after success in the lower-rated ITF Men's Circuit.

Clayton has reached seven successive doubles finals in Futures events on the ITF Men's Circuit, winning five.

"In March or April time we'll look to play Challengers," he told BBC Jersey.

Clayton and regular partner Jonny O'Mara have won three titles this season and reached seven finals, but injury meant the Jerseyman had to leave his regular partner behind for his last three victories, all of which came in Israel.

International tennis tournaments

• ATP World Tour: Grand Slam tournaments, Masters Series and World Tour events - the prize fund for the US Open was more than $22m.

• ATP Challenger Tour: Around 150 tournaments around the world with prize funds ranging from $40,000-$220,000.

• ITF Men's Circuit: 298 tournaments globally with prize funds from $10,000-$25,000.

But Clayton feels he and O'Mara are able to make the step up, which would also help increase their ranking points as they aim for a place Wimbledon in 2017.

"I've played in a couple of them before and it is a tough level, but the margins are very small in tennis and I don't think there's any reason why Jonny and I can't do well," he added.

"I'm still playing singles and I'm at a career-high in the rankings of 698, so I'm still going in that as well.

"If you were to win a $10,000 Futures event you'd get 18 ranking points and if you lost a second-round challenger, depending upon the level, you'd get around 15 points, so straight away you can see the difference, and the money is different as well.

"Looking at some of the results of the Challengers I think we can make it, ultimately if we want to play at Wimbledon next year that's something we're going to have to do.

"We're going to have to put ourselves out there and see at that level where we are at."