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Glenys Furness
Liam Broady in the first round of Wimbledon 2018, UK
Liam Broady in the first round of Wimbledon 2018, UK | (BEN STANSALL/AFP/Getty Images)

Tennis | Challenger and ITF Round-up | Liam Broady makes final of ATP Challenger Leon

Glenys Furness
Tennis

By Glenys Furness

  • Liam Broady made the final of the ATP Challenger event
  • The Brit last Challenger final was October 2017
Leon, Mexico – Liam Broady entered the ATP Challenger event looking to end an unfortunate losing streak. The Brit made it all the way to the final before being defeated.

 

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Brit of the Week

Liam Broady entered the ATP Challenger in Leon Mexico looking to get a winning streak under his belt. The Brit was unseeded, and recent results had been disappointing for Broady. In the first round Broady was drawn against Renzo Olivo. The Argentine struggled in the first set, whilst the Brit was easing through. The second set saw Olivo try harder, however Broady was not going away and broke again to take the win and move into the next round 6-2, 6-3.

In the second round the Brit was against the third seed Christopher Eubanks. The American stayed toe to toe with Broady in the first set, forcing a tiebreak. The Brit edged the tiebreak to move into the lead. Eubanks re-grouped in the second set and dominated Broady to level up the match. The final set saw the Brit break the third seed and take the match 7-6(5), 2-6, 6-4.

The third round saw the Brit face another seed, the 15th seed Lucas Miedler and got off to the worse possible start. The Austrian was unstoppable and Broady only managed to win one game. However, the Brit re-grouped and forced a tiebreak, just like the previous round it was Broady who edged the breaker and levelled the match. The final set saw Broady fighting hard and securing the break of serve on the seed to progress into the next round 1-6, 7-6(5), 6-3.

In the quarter-final the Brit was against the fifth seed Sebastian Ofner. The Austrian was close to the Brit in the first set, but it was Broady that managed to strike first and take the set. In the second set Ofner managed to break to level up the match. The final set saw Broady once again gain control to break Ofner and move into the semi-final 7-5, 4-6, 6-3.

The semi-final had Broady against the top seed Alexander Bublik. The Brit completely outclassed the Kazakh in the first set, taking the lead easily. With the first set settled, Bublik retired from the match, handing Broady the win and a place in the final 6-2, 0-0 RET.

In the final the Brit was against 14th seed Blaž Rola. The Slovenian had the upper hand in the first set, breaking Broady to take the lead. However, the Brit fought back in the second, breaking Rola and levelled the match up. The final set saw Rola once again get the break of serve and go on to win the match 6-4, 4-6, 6-3.

 

Honourable Mention

James Ward also entered the Challenger event in Leon and was seeded seventh. Just like Broady the Brit had suffered some disappointing results and was desperate to put a run together. Having received a bye in the first round Ward was then facing Baptiste Crepatte in the second round. Ward broke the Frenchman in both sets to take the win in straight sets 6-3, 6-4.

In the third round the Brit was facing the 11th seed Darian King. The Barbadian could not handle the Ward serve, with the Brit soon up a set for the loss of only one game. The second set was a little closer, however King could still not break through to level and it was Ward that moved into the quarter-final 6-1, 6-4.

The quarter-final saw the Brit up against the 16th seed Marcelo Arévalo. The Salvadoran fought well, but was unable to break Ward in either set. It was the seventh seed that progressed through to the semi-final in another straight sets win 6-3, 6-4.

In the semi-final Ward was facing Blaž Rola and made an excellent start. The Brit was 5-2 when Rola pulled it back and forced a tiebreak. The Brit edged the breaker and was a set away from first challenger final since August 2018. However, the Slovenian re-grouped in the second set, and broke the Brit again to level up the match. The third set went to a tiebreak, in which Ward found himself with several match points. Unfortunately the Brit was unable to take them and Rola once again pulled level. The Slovenian then turned the match round and secured match point, which he then took to end the very good run of Ward 6-7(7), 6-3, 7-6(7).

 

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Challenger & ITF Round Up

Jay Clarke was defeated by Ben Patael in the third round in Nanchang 6-3, 7-5.

Mukhtar Andu was defeated by Michael Zhu in the first round in Nigeria 6-4, 6-0.

Jack Draper was defeated by Simon Yitbarek in the second round in Nigeria 5-4 RET.

Toby Martin was defeated by Alessandro Bega in the second round in Italy 7-5, 7-5.

Lloyd Glasspool was defeated by David Pichler in the second round in Italy 6-2, 6-3.

Gabriella Taylor was defeated by Victoria Kan in the first round in Italy 6-1, 6-3.

Francesca Jones was defeated by Naiktha Bains in the first round in Italy 7-5, 2-6, 6-4.

Chloe Compson was defeated by Marie Benoît in the first round in Italy 6-0, 6-1.

Naiktha Bains was defeated by Margot Yerolymos in the quarter-final in Italy 6-2, 6-4.

Mark Whitehouse was defeated by Antoine Cornut Chauvinc in the first round in France 4-6, 6-4, 6-4.

Isaac Stoute was defeated by Julian Cash in the first round in Cancun 6-4, 6-2.

Julian Cash was defeated by Yishai Oliel in the second round in Cancun 6-2, 6-2.

Amelia Stuart was defeated by Stephanie Kent in the first round in Cancun 6-0, 6-4.

Jonathan Gray was defeated by Louis Tessa in the first round in Tunisia 6-4, 6-3.

Alicia Barnett was defeated by Pranjala Yadlapalli in the second round in Uzbekistan 6-1, 4-6, 6-0.

Next week Brits play in Estoril, Munich, Puerta Vallarta, Seoul, Savannah, Italy, Uzbekistan, Georgia, Ghana, Spain, Turkey, Tunisia, Rabat, Japan, Russia & Egypt.

 

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