Jay Clarke is not counting his chickens just yet, despite progressing to the third and final round of qualifying for Wimbledon.

The Derby hitter, 18, defeated Elias Ymer 6-4, 7-6 in Wednesday’s clash at the Bank of England Sports Centre in Roehampton.

It was a tense finish, with British number eight Clarke finally defeating the 21-year-old Swede on his fourth match point.

Clarke is now one victory away from appearing in the men’s singles at the All-England Club for the first time as a senior player, but says he is taking it one step at a time.

“I didn’t know who I was playing in the second round and I don’t know who I’m playing tomorrow,” said Clarke, who beat Marcelo Arevalo in the first round of qualifying on Monday. “I’m just taking it one step at a time, match by match.

“You can’t really look too far ahead, because these guys are good enough that if you give them one chance, they’ll take it.

“To come out of juniors and qualify a year later as a senior would mean a lot, but it’s going to be tough to do.”

A place at Wimbledon is guaranteed for Clarke, who will appear with fellow Brit Marcus Willis in the men’s doubles even if he does not make the singles draw.

Clarke’s rapid rise in the past few months has caught the eye, with one reason being the hitter’s link-up with Estaban Carril, the former coach of British women’s number one Johanna Konta.

The teenager added that he remains confident in his ability to keep improving, and said Carril has instilled better choices on the courts into his psyche.

“A lot of good wins have come recently, but I’ve been working hard for a long time now,” said Clarke, currently world number 360. “Unless you win, people don’t seem to notice your improvement.

“It’s nice to get the results, but I’m confident, even if I didn’t win that match, that I would do well in the next few tournaments.

“Working with Estaban is going really well and he’s helped me with a lot of things, the biggest one being decision making.

“He hasn’t really changed my forehand or backhand or much technically, but he encourages me to play bigger, to lose on my terms or win on my terms.”

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