By Tony Fairbairn at Wimbledon
- Liam Broady [WC] def Casper Ruud [4] 6-4 3-6 4-6 6-3 6-0
- Broady v Denis Shapovalov [26] | H2H: First Meeting
LONDON, ENGLAND – Liam Broady claimed the biggest win of his career by defeating fourth seed Casper Ruud in five sets and will now play 26th seed Denis Shapovalov in the third round of Wimbledon.
 |
Liam Broady [WC] def Casper Ruud [4] 6-4 3-6 4-6 6-3 6-0
Liam Broady is into the third round of Wimbledon for a second consecutive year after claiming the biggest win of his career over Casper Ruud. The Brit could barely believe it as he entertained a loud Centre Court crowd and defeated the Roland Garros finalist.
Even though Ruud wasn’t comfortable on grass, this was always going to be tricky for Broady and that proved to be the case in the early stages as the Norwegian was winning the long rallies. Too many unforced errors from Broady saw Ruud gain control of the early moments of the match as the fourth seed broke for a 3-1 lead.
However back came Broady as he refused to concede to Ruud’s tactic of depth and spin with Broady producing a late comeback in the fifth game. The Brit conjured up some aggressive shot-making as the Brit’s patience was rewarded with a break back immediately. That wasn’t the end of Broady’s retaliation as he used the momentum to make Ruud feel uncomfortable and he dictated play to secure four games in a row, taking a 5-3 lead.
The British wildcard was pushing for a sixth game in a row as he extracted more unforced errors from Ruud. However Ruud produced some clean serving to force Broady to serve for the opening set. Broady obliged as a powerful forehand winner saw the Brit claim the opening set.
In the second set, Ruud twisted and turned Broady inside out with the Norwegian using a variety of spins and tactics to move Broady into different positions. Ruud once again grabbed the first break of the match but this time continued his relentless consistency as he continued to control the second set. After a tight service game, Ruud closed out the second set and levelled the match at one set all.
The third set saw Broady start well as he used the drop shot to good effect, moving Ruud from the comfort of the baseline. It was Broady who controlled most of the third set with confident serving until the ninth game where he played a poor service game which ended in a double fault.
A long tenth game saw Broady create a few break point opportunities as he aimed to extend the third set. However the wildcard couldn’t convert his chances and some clutch serving saw Ruud close out the third set to take a two set to one lead.
There was no signs of slowing down from Broady though as the Brit refused to give in and an aggressive start to the fourth set saw him break and consolidate at the start of the fourth set for a 3-0 lead. Broady produced clean hitting from the baseline and was starting to move into the net as he put Ruud under severe pressure. Despite Ruud matching Broady’s intensity on serve, the Brit held his nerve sealing a love hold with an ace as he forced a deciding fifth set.
After that it was all about Broady as he produced some clinical patterns of play and played some of the best grass court tennis of his career. Ruud had a couple of chances early in the set but couldn’t convert them and seemed to run out of ideas as the set wore on.
The world number 142 only got better as the set drew nearer to its conclusion as Broady won all six games in the third set to claim the biggest win of his career and reach the third round at Wimbledon for a second year in a row.
Liam Broady [WC] v Denis Shapovalov [26] H2H & Match Fundamentals
| Liam Broady [WC] v Denis Shapovalov [26] | H2H: First Meeting |
| Wimbledon 2023 | London, England |
| Grass (O) | Prize Money: £131,000 |
| Third on No.2 Court (15:00 BST) | BBC Sport |
Broady will now face former semi-finalist Denis Shapovalov for a spot in the second week of Wimbledon.
Tale of the Tape – Key Stats (2023 – Grass)
| H2H: | Liam Broady (WR 142) | Denis Shapovalov (WR 29) |
| Tournament Previous Best | R3 (2022) | Semi-Final (2021) |
| 1st Serve % | 54.4 | 50 |
| Service Games Won % | 76.1 | 82.4 |
| Break Points Saved % | 57.7 | 68.4 |
| 2nd Serve Return Points Won % | 49.5 | 50 |
| Break Points Converted % | 41.7 | 42.9 |
Broady will look to take advantage of Shapovalov’s underwhelming first serve percentage on grass as the Brit will look to continue to be clinical on return.
 |
Playing styles and predictions
Shapovalov has had an underwhelming season so far with Wimbledon being the fourth time this season that the Canadian has won back-to-back matches. However it only takes one tournament to turn someone’s season around and Shapovalov loves the grass courts, so the Canadian will be hoping a return to the place of his only Grand Slam semi-final will help elevate his game to new heights.
Broady will look to continue to be aggressive and target Shapovalov’s rally tolerance from the baseline as he will look to rush the Canadian’s backhand. Meanwhile Shapovalov will be looking to be clinical on return and force Broady out of position to ensure he creates space on the court to hit clean winners into. This will be a tough test for Broady but if the Brit is physically fresh then he has a good chance of making the second week of a Grand Slam for the first time in his career.
Prediction: Broady in five sets.
How to Watch/Follow Wimbledon 2023
| TV | Across BBC Channels & Red Button |
| Live Stream | BBC Sport |
 Sign up to PBLC for free to support ongoing contributions from Britwatch Sports |
| Follow Britwatch - Sport in General, Brits in Particular! | |
|---|---|
| Soundcloud | |
| YouTube | |
| We may receive compensation for products purchased via affiliate links on this website | |