Ilkley Trophy: Johnson and Bains flying flag for Leeds
Johnson, 28, partnered by 21-year-old Scotsman Aidan McHugh beat highly-rated French pair Lucas Pouille and Constant Lestienne.
The British pair took control of the first set with two breaks of serve and recovered after the loss of one of them to serve out the set.
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Hide AdJohnson and McHugh looked to be cruising after going a break ahead in the second set, but went on to lose 6-4 before recovering well to come through the 10-point tiebreak and win 6-4 4-6 10-7.
Johnson said: “There were always going to be some twists and turns, so it was good to get through. It was a difficult end to the second set, losing from a break up, but we regrouped like we did in the last round and came through in the tiebreak.
“They’re two very well-established singles players so we knew that we had to assert ourselves on the court early, I feel we did that.
“We needed to make sure it was a doubles match out there, we didn’t want to get into a match where we were playing from the baseline against them.
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Hide Ad“It’s an amazing tournament, the crowds here are probably the best out of any tournament I’ve played so far this year.”
Bains, 24, also partnered with a Scottish player, Maia Lumsden, against No 4 seeds Ingrid Gamarra Martins of Brazil and Briton Emily Webley-Smith.
The all-British pair recorded a 2-6 6-3 11-9 victory to set up a semi-final meeting with second seeds Estelle Cascino and Jessika Ponchet from France.
Wins for Sonay Kartal and Jodie Burrage made the London-born pair the only Brits to reach the quarter-finals of the singles events.
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Hide AdKartal, 20, ranked 268 in the world, recovered from a difficult start to win in three sets 3-6 6-3 6-3 against 26-year-old fellow British player Yuriko Lily Miyazaki.
Burrage, 23, joined Kartal in the quarters thanks to an impressive 6-3 6-2 victory against No 5 seed Mai Hontama, ranked 80 places higher than Burrage at 136, from Japan.
Unranked 17-year-old Ranah Akua Stoiber, from Middlesex, saw her breakthrough run end in a three set marathon against No 4 seed Daria Snigur of Ukraine.
The last British man standing in the men’s singles, Lincoln’s Dan Cox, 31, lost in straight sets to Zizou Bergs.
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