Ilkley Trophy still has plenty of British interest left

Since the tournament began in 2015, there has been a year when no British man won in the singles (2018) and a year when no British woman won in the singles (2016).

There has also been a year when only one British man won a round and three years when only one British woman won a round.

That is the famine taken care of. Now comes the feast.

Two years ago, there were nine British victories by British women, with Jodie Burrage reaching the final and Sonay Kartal the semi-finals.

While the best the men have achieved has been three victories in 2016 (Brydan Klein was a semi-finalist), 2017 (Jay Clarke was a quarter-finalist) and 2019 (Paul Jubb was a quarter-finalist).

So what of 2024’s Ilkley Trophy?

Well it is turning out to be a good year as two British men are already through to the second round (Arthur Fery, who lost in the last 16, and Charles Broom).

And five victories have already been notched by British women, with a sixth guaranteed as Kartal faces eighth seed Yuriko Lily Miyazaki in the last 16 in the first match today on Court One.

Broom, a quarter-finalist last year and the last British man standing, faces seventh seed Zachary Svajda today in the last 16 on Centre Court.

Meanwhile, among the women, qualifiers Ranah Akua Stoiber and Ella McDonald have made the last 16, and will face Canada’s Rebecca Marino and Thailand’s Lanlana Tararudee respectively, while wild card Amarni Banks meets France’s Jessika Ponchet.

Whoever wins these last-16 battles will then have a quarter-final later in the day, as the tournament bids to get back on schedule after plenty of rain on the first four days.

McDonald, an 18-year-old from Preston, is clearly enjoying herself on the ‘wrong side of the Pennines’, and came through a 2hr 8min battle against seventh seed Arianne Hartono (Netherlands) 7-6 (5), 5-7, 6-2.

The Lancastrian teenager, who is transitioning into senior tennis, said after winning on a day when the sun finally shone on Ilkley: “Winning gives me more confidence and it is nice to play in the north for a change at a nice venue and in a nice tournament, and I thank the crowd for supporting me.

“I am really grateful for it and it is nice to see some familiar faces among the crowd, and hopefully that will continue."

She laughed: “It is okay playing in Yorkshire! I am staying in a hotel as it is a little too far to be travelling from home.”

Stoiber beat 16-year-old French Open girls' champion Renata Jamrichkova, of the Slovak Republic, 4-6, 7-5, 7-6 (5) in a thriller on Court One.

Ranah Akua Stoiber (right) shakes hands with Renata Jamrichkova after the pair's brilliant match yesterday. (Image: Jack Gray Photography.)

In contrast to McDonald’s and Stoiber's rigours, 21-year-old Banks took only 58 minutes to defeat second seed Mai Hontama (Japan).

Broom, who reached the quarter-finals at Nottingham last week, knew before he stepped onto Ilkley’s Centre Court to face veteran Mikhail Kukushkin that he had been awarded a wild card into next week’s Wimbledon singles qualifying at Roehampton.

Broom, who defeated the 36-year-old Kazakhstani 7-6 (2), 6-1, has also been awarded a wild card into the main draw of the Wimbledon men’s doubles alongside Fery.

The 26-year-old, from St Albans in Hertfordshire, said: “It was nice to be back out here on the grass, and he is a tricky opponent, especially in the way that he hits his backhand, always coming underneath the ball, and grass exacerbates how low it stays.

“As the match went on, I felt more comfortable and played my best tennis in the second set.

Charles Broom looked in good touch at the Ilkley Trophy, which bodes well for next week's Wimbledon qualifiers. (Image: Jack Gray Photography.)

"I have lost to him indoors and you have to be more malleable with what he comes at you with. My serve was the key, and I used the slice and mixed things up a bit.”

As for his Wimbledon wild card into qualifying, Broom said: “I am very grateful for the opportunity, and in (main draw) doubles as well, so I am looking forward to carrying on my form.”

As for facing Svajda, Broom said: “He is extremely talented and has won a couple of Challengers. I have watched him quite a lot but haven’t played against him. It won’t be easy.”

This is Broom’s third successive year at Ilkley, and he said: “The family that I stay with are so nice and the volunteers make it special.

"I can’t thank everyone enough for making the tournament so special. I love coming back here.”