Ilkley Trophy: Dan Cox and Akua Stoiber continue to impress as Naiktha Bains advances in the women’s doubles

The 31-year-old Cox faced fellow-Brit Charles Broom, who also came through the qualifying draw, in a close-fought match in the Yorkshire sun.

Cox broke early to take control of the first set but found himself broken back when serving for the set at 5-4.

The pair continued to exchange breaks of serve before heading to a tie-break which Cox emphatically won 7-1.

Breaks of serve continued to be the theme in the second set with both players winning three return games each before Cox again took charge of the tie-break to secure a 7-6 (7-1) 7-6 (7-1) victory.

After wrapping up the win in just under two hours, the world no. 505 said: “I’m just really pleased to come through it.

“I think we’re both playing very good tennis at the moment. We were both going toe-to-toe and I think it was a really exciting match.

“In Nottingham I played really well and then coming into this event I was feeling confident on the grass and have added a couple more wins.

“Charlie is playing really well at the moment, beating the likes of Gilles Simon, so I’m pleased to come through it and give myself another opportunity to play on the grass at Ilkley.

“I think the members here are really enthusiastic about tennis which is always great. It’s just nice to see a great atmosphere around, everyone seems happy.”

After beating Leeds’ Naiktha Bains in the final round of qualifying, 17-year-old Stoiber continued her breakout week with a win against 227-ranked American Jamie Loeb.

The 7-6 (7-5) 6-3 victory marked her first in the main draw of a senior level event and earned her a meeting with fourth seed Daria Snigur, ranked 130 in the world, from Ukraine. Stoiber’s shock centre court victory was sandwiched by defeats for British players in front of the home crowd.

World no. 441 Felix Gill, 20, was defeated by Australian fourth seed John Millman, ranked in the top 100, 6-3 6-3.

Following that match on the showpiece court was Scotland’s Aidan McHugh, 21, who fell to Canada’s former world no. 25 Vasek Pospisil 6-3 6-4.

Fellow-Scot Anna Brogan took the first set against third seed Katie Volynets but lost in three sets 3-6 6-2 6-2 to the American ranked 123 in the world. Australian Jordan Thompson, ranked 74 and top seed in the ATP Challenger tournament, was knocked out by Portugal’s 128-ranked Nuno Borges 6-4 7-5.

There was also victory for Yorkshire’s own Naiktha Bains in the women’s doubles in a match that pitted her against Stoiber for the second time in two days. Bains partnered Scotland’s Maia Lumsden in the final match on centre court to beat all-British teenage pair Stoiber and 14-year-old Mingge Xu via a match-deciding tie-break 2-6 6-4 10-8.