REGARDLESS of what happens in the rest of the tournament, the 2022 edition has been the most successful Ilkley Trophy for British players.

With the successes of Sonay Kartal, Lily Miyazaki and Jodie Burrage yesterday, five Britons have qualified for the second round.

With Dan Cox and Ranah Stoiber winning their first-round matches on Tuesday, the quintet of triumphs, with power to add, betters the four victories achieved in 2016, 2017 and 2019, while there were only two British wins in 2015 and 2018 in the six Ilkley Trophy tournaments held so far.

Miyazaki’s was the most impressive success as she defeated former world No.10, second seeded Kristina Mladenovic of France, 6-7, (4-7), 6-4, 6-4.

Kartal, at 20 six years younger than Miyazaki, celebrated her wild card into the women’s singles at Wimbledon with a 6-3, 6-7 (1-7), 6-2 win over Arianne Hartono of the Netherlands.

Meanwhile, Burrage, feeling under par, served powerfully to defeat Surbiton Trophy runner-up Arina Rodionova (Australia) 6-3, 7-5.

One more British success is assured as Kartal meets Miyazaki today in the last 16 of the $100,000 ITF Women’s World Tour event, while Stoiber faces fourth seed Daria Snigur (Ukraine) and Burrage plays eighth seed Mai Hontama (Japan).

Meanwhile, in a battle of qualifiers, 31-year-old Dan Cox faces Zizou Bergs (Belgium) in the $125,000 ATP Challenger.

The only British singles defeats yesterday were suffered by Welsh starlet Mingge Xu and Scot Maia Lumsden.

Xu fell 6-2, 6-2 to 32-year-old Belgian Yanina Wickmayer in what was the 14-year-old’s professional debut, while Lumsden, on the comeback trail after Long Covid, lost 6-3, 6-2 to Danielle Lao (United States).

British No.7 Miyazaki said of her victory over reigning French Open women’s doubles champion Mladenovic: “It was a really tough match. There wasn’t much in it.

“Every set was close. We were both serving pretty well but it literally came down to a few points and either of us could have taken it, so I’m really happy that I got through.

“Every match that I get on grass I feel more comfortable, my level is there so I’m really looking forward to Wimbledon.”

Kartal said of Hartono: “She was really tricky with the game that she plays. It’s very aggressive, and in the tie-break in the second set she hit five forehand winners, so that was just too good.

“But I kept telling myself if she can keep this level for the whole match then too good. I just tried to stick with it and not let her get ahead in the third set.”

Kartal added: “I’ve loved all the grass tournaments in the lead-up. (Ilkley) is an incredible club. I’ve never been here before and the tournament has been put on exceptionally well and the grass courts are playing really nice so it’s a really good tournament to play prior to Wimbledon.”

Burrage, who used her big first serve to get her out of trouble against 32-year-old Ilkley regular Rodionova, said: “The whole vibe was a little weird because I was quite quiet and she was quite quiet, which isn’t normal for both of us.

“I haven’t been feeling great, which is why I didn’t have that much energy and that’s why I was a bit quiet, so I’m really happy to get through that one in two sets to save my energy.

“I served really well in tight moments.”

Xu, who earned her place at Ilkley by winning the LTA National 18 & Under Championship at the National Tennis Centre in Roehampton in April, said of her debut: “It’s a big jump from juniors to women’s and I’m not really used to it but it’s good experience and I can learn lots from it.

“I’ve played a few 25Ks but this was my first 100K event. She has probably been in these moments before and it showed, but I’m headed in the right direction, especially before next week.”

Xu was referring to her wild-card place in the Wimbledon qualifying competition, which is again at Roehampton, but this time on grass.

She added: “I try to stay calm and focus on my goals.”

The defeat of Mladenovic was not the only seeding upset at Ilkley as Fernando Verdasco, sixth seed in the men’s event, lost 6-3, 7-5 to France’s Constant Lestienne in the second round.

Meanwhile, second seed Jiri Veseley (Czech Republic) came through a close one, defeating France’s Hugo Grenier 6-3, 6-7 (5-7), 6-3.

West Yorkshire success continued in the doubles when, after the win on Tuesday night for Lumsden and Leeds’ Naiktha Bains, wild cards Aidan McHugh and Leeds’ Luke Johnson defeated second seeds Hugo Hach Verdugo (Mexico) and Philipp Oswald (Austria) 6-3, 6-7 (3-7), 10-2 in the first round of the men’s doubles.

Also through are Kartal and Nell Miller, who beat Robin Anderson (United States) and Hartono 4-6, 6-4, 11-9 in the first round of the women’s doubles.