JAY Clarke is the last Briton standing at the Aegon Ilkley Trophy.

The 18-year-old, who is only ranked 396 in the world, continued to justify his wild card into the ATP Challenger by defeating Ukraine’s Illya Marchenko, who is 279 places higher.

After his 6-4, 7-6 (8-6) victory that he rated the best of his career and put him into the quarter-finals, the teenager said: “Conditions were difficult because of the breeze but I tried not to think about it and just focused on my game.

“I had chances in the first set but didn’t take them. However, I didn’t panic and won that set, and I also had chances in the second set when I had a match point.

“Then I was 6-3 down in the tie-break and just took it a point at a time, but I didn’t feel pressured on my returns there because he didn’t make first serves.”

Clarke, who injured a knee while on Davis Cup duty as a practice partner, now plays Hungary’s Marton Fucsovics, who is world ranked 136.

Marcus Willis couldn’t make it two Britons into the last eight as he lost a big-serving battle 5-7, 7-6 (7-2), 6-3 to Australia’s Sam Groth, also on Centre Court.

Willis looked like he was going to win in straight sets when he reached the second set tie-break.

But Groth, whose serves have topped the 140mph mark this week, pulled his game together and was a deserved winner against the 2016 Wimbledon hero, who will be playing main draw doubles with Clarke at SW 19.

Groth now plays American Bjorn Fratangelo, who saw off 2016 Ilkley runner-up Vincent Millot (France) for the loss of only four games.

The other quarter-finals are Russia’s Evgeny Donskoy against big-serving American Taylor Fritz, and France’s Quentin Halys against the last of the qualifiers in Australian Alex Bolt.

Wild card Laura Robson was the last British survivor in the women’s singles, and again took part in a three-setter, but this time lost it 3-6, 6-3, 6-3 to Maryna Zanevska (Belgium), who is ranked 121.

Two of the women’s second-round matches went to a final set tie-breaker, with sixth seed Andrea Petkovic and Maria Sakkari (Greece) edging out qualifier Maria Sanchez (USA) and Kai-Chen Chang (Chinese Taipei) respectively.

Petkovic now meets fellow German Tatjana Maria, while Sakkari, who is being coached by Sky Sports commentator Mark Petchey, faces Belgian Alison van Uytvanck.

Other last-eight ties are qualifier Marina Erakovic (New Zealand) against Zanevska and fifth seed Madison Brengle (USA) against Magdalena Rybarikova (Slovakia).