Wimbledon 2022: Liam Broady loses to Alex de Minaur at All England Club
- Published
Wimbledon 2022: Watch Alex De Minaur dazzle in third round match against Liam Broady
Wimbledon 2022 on the BBC |
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Venue: All England Club Dates: 27 June-10 July |
Coverage: Live across BBC TV, radio and online with extensive coverage on BBC iPlayer, Red Button, Connected TVs and mobile app. |
British wildcard Liam Broady says he "truly believes" his best years are still to come after a memorable Wimbledon run came to an end.
Broady, 28, was competing in a Grand Slam third round for the first time but Australia's Alex de Minaur dashed the hopes of another home player.
De Minaur beat Britain's Jack Draper in the second round and added Broady to his list in a 6-3 6-4 7-5 win.
"Hopefully my best days come next year and then last 10 years," Broady said.
"In this sport we never know, do we? It's just the way it works. You get some outliers. Maybe I'll be an outlier."
Broady's defeat leaves Cameron Norrie as Britain's final man in the singles.
Norrie, 26, plays in the fourth round against American Tommy Paul on Sunday, while Heather Watson - the home nation's last representative in the women's singles - faces 22-year-old German Jule Niemeier in the last 16.
Broady goes down fighting as memorable week ends
British number five Broady is finally starting to reap the rewards of a more professional outlook, leading to his finest run at a Grand Slam and to what he described as the biggest match of his career.
While the meeting with 19th seed De Minaur ultimately ended in disappointment, the left-hander will reflect positively on a remarkable week where all of his talent and heart was on show.
After De Minaur took his fourth match point, almost everyone on Court One immediately rose to acknowledge Broady's performance and the volume reached a crescendo as he walked off to a richly-deserved ovation.
"The last year, year and a half, I've had some really good wins," said Broady, who earned the biggest of win of his career when he beat Wimbledon semi-finalist Hubert Hurkacz at the Toyko Olympics last year.
"I think the tennis is there, it's just doing it more consistently and believing in myself more.
"Having made third round of Wimbledon, I'm sure will help my confidence to grow."
A promising junior who made the 2011 Wimbledon boys' final, Broady won his first ATP Challenger title last year and reached a career-high ranking of 116 earlier this season.
He has achieved several more notable milestones this season, including qualifying for a first appearance at the Australian Open, and has spoken about how his fortunes have improved after limiting his nights out.
That increased professionalism has enabled him to reach the last 32 of a major at the seventh attempt, following a memorable win over Argentine 12th seed Diego Schwartzman on Thursday.
The Manchester City fan marked the victory by mimicking England star Jack Grealish's goal celebration, but there was little opportunity to bring that out again against the accomplished De Minaur.
A single break in each set was enough for the Australian to seal victory, although he only eventually got over the line after a nervy finish.
Broady showed all of his renowned fighting spirit to break back for 5-5 when De Minaur served for the match and, having lost serve in the 11th game, threatened again with four more break points.
But De Minaur recovered to save them and, after more resistance from world number 132 Broady delighted the home crowd, finally got over the line to reach the Wimbledon last 16 for the first time.
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