By Tony Fairbairn
- Billy Harris [WC] v Jacob Fearnley [WC] | H2H: First Meeting
- Liam Broady [WC] v Yoshihito Nishioka [Q] | H2H: First Meeting
EASTBOURNE, ENGLAND – Billy Harris will look to continue his good form against Nottingham Jacob Fearnley in Eastbourne as Liam Broady makes his return to the ATP tour.
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Billy Harris [WC] v Jacob Fearnley [WC] | H2H & Match Fundamentals
| Billy Harris [WC] v Jacob Fearnley [WC] | H2H: First Meeting |
| ATP Eastbourne 2024 | Eastbourne, England |
| Grass (O) | Prize Money: €7,940 |
| First on Centre Court (11:00 BST) | BBC IPlayer |
It’s been an incredible run of form from Billy Harris who continued his confident tennis by reaching the quarter-finals at Queen’s Club. The Brit’s recent boost in form was highlighted when he recorded the best win of his career against world number 32 Tomas Martin Etcheverry in the opening round. If that wasn’t enough, Harris’ week was sealed with a Wimbledon main draw wildcard in what has been an extraordinary run for Harris. Now the 29 year-old will look to keep the momentum going in Eastbourne ahead of his Wimbledon main draw debut.
A tough first round match awaits Harris in the form of fellow Brit Jacob Fearnley. Although Harris has dominated the news recently in terms of lower-ranked Brits, Fearnley enters Eastbourne in good form himself having earned a Wimbledon wildcard by winning the Nottingham Challenger. The win in Nottingham saw Fearnley climb up 251 places in the rankings to 274 in the world in what could be a life-changing week for the 22 year-old. Now Fearnley looks to seize the opportunity in what will be his ATP tour debut in Eastbourne.
Harris will use the forehand to be aggressive and pin Fearnley behind the baseline as he will aim to be clinical on return. Meanwhile Fearnley will put pressure on Harris by approaching the net and shortening the point to test Harris’ movement. This will be a tight match that could go all the way with Harris’ experience and confidence helping him over the finishing line.
Prediction: Harris in three sets.
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Liam Broady [WC] v Yoshihito Nishioka [Q] | H2H & Match Fundamentals
| Liam Broady [WC] v Yoshihito Nishioka [Q] | H2H: First Meeting |
| ATP Eastbourne 2024 | Eastbourne, England |
| Grass (O) | Prize Money: €7,940 |
| Second on Court One (Not before 12:30 BST) | BBC IPlayer |
It’s a first tournament for three months for Liam Broady who returns to the tour after a string of injuries that have halted his progress. Last year Broady reached the third round of Wimbledon which was the catalyst for Broady to reach the world’s top 100. Now the Brit looks to replicate similar form as he will aim to be fully fit for the rest of the year and recover his ranking back to what it was last year.
The first opponent for Broady to overcome is Japanese qualifier Yoshihito Nishioka. Nishioka has produced some positive performance over the last few months but that hasn’t quite translated into results as he finds himself outside the world’s top 100. The 28 year-old is aiming for a seventh win since May as he looks to find confidence or he may find himself having to qualify for the US Open.
Broady will use the forehand to dictate play as he will look to be aggressive on serve. Meanwhile Nishioka will use the backhand in order to play counter-attacking tennis as he will be more than happy to rally from the baseline. This will be a good match for Broady to gradually build confidence and the Brit should have enough quality to win this match.
Prediction: Broady in three sets.
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