Broady puts LTA feud before Olympic dream
NAOMI BROADY is prepared to sacrifice her ambitions to play in the Olympics rather than compromise in her long-running feud with the Lawn Tennis Association. The British No 3 and her father have been at war with the governing body since an incident 11 years ago, when she was suspended for posting some relatively innocuous pictures of a night out on social media. She has always refused to play for Great Britain in the Fed Cup but, symbolic of Wimbledon’s disjointed relationship with the domestic game, the All England Club have continued to give her valuable wildcards. Broady today faces defending champion Garbine Muguruza on Centre Court — one of nine British players in singles action today — and has not been persuaded by GB captain Anne Keothavong to back down. ‘She just asked where we still stood on the whole situation and for now we are still in the same situation,’ said Broady, 28. ‘If it were as simple as representing my country, I would love to play for GB in the Olympics. As long as it is so intertwined with the LTA, it is not going to happen. ‘It is a shame it is so intertwined and that they made the ruling that you can’t play the Olympics if you can’t play Fed Cup as well. As long as it is like that, I don’t think much is going to change.’ The LTA have now ceased to give her any help in entering their pre-Wimbledon events from her current singles ranking of 138. ‘I don’t really know but for this year, rightly or wrongly, I have not received any wildcards across the grass (bar Wimbledon). Maybe that’s their way of showing if I don’t play Fed Cup I am not going to receive anything from them. I am extremely lucky that the All England Club do have belief in my tennis. Without the wildcards, I would definitely have stopped playing tennis by now.’ With Andy Murray out, Kyle Edmund today finds himself elevated to No 1 Court to take on Australian qualifier Andrew Bolt. He is one of three British men and six British women hoping to make the second round. Most are on early, with Jo Konta on Court 2 against Natalia Vikhlyantseva.