TOUGH DRAW FOR ANDY AND JO
ANDy MURRAY and Jo Konta will be given blasts of the past and future at the French Open next week after being handed the most awkward of first-round tasks.
Murray meets the past in the form of Stan Wawrinka, the last man he played at Roland Garros in what was the final match he completed before his career was engulfed by hip problems.
Konta, a semi-finalist in 2019, will get a first look at the precocious talent of Coco Gauff, in what will be the Paris debut of the 16-year-old American. While clay is not Gauff’s strong suit, it is only the beginning of what looks a very difficult draw for the GB No 1.
As for the 33-year-old Scot, he will think back to the semi-final of 2107, when he was edged out by the barrel-chested Swiss in five sets. It was during the grass-court season that followed when his hip issues first became apparent.
Wawrinka has also experienced difficulty in the meantime, to do with his knees, but has recovered sufficiently to stand at 17 in the world. His post-lockdown form has been poor, although he will be a formidable opponent when it most matters.
After Kyle Edmund withdrew due to a recurrence of knee problems — which are not believed to be long-term — Dan Evans is the highest ranked British male in the draw and he will face the unseeded Kei Nishikori. Of wider significance in the men’s draw is that No 3 seed Dominic Thiem was placed in Rafael Nadal’s half, which will not disappoint Novak Djokovic.
Britain’s singles entry was boosted by Liam Broady winning his final qualifying round, supported by Murray.
The autumnal rain fell steadily at Roland Garros yesterday, but that did not stop Murray trekking out to Court Three, where he was one of the handful present to cheer on the 26-year-old from Stockport in one of the biggest matches of his life. It seemed to do the trick, as Broady beat higher- ranked Australian Marc Polmans 7-6, 6-4 to come through a Grand Slam preliminary draw for the first time in 12 attempts.
‘He often gives me a bit of stick but I was very appreciative of him coming out to support,’ said Broady, who was given a socially distanced volley of congratulations by Murray as soon as he left the court. ‘I started pretty badly and then Andy showed up.
‘When a great player like him is watching, I think it can be a bit disconcerting for your opponent when they aren’t used to it. He helped me out a lot today.’
Broady added that the Battle of the Brits events at Roehampton over the summer had engendered a strong spirit among those playing at the highest level of the tour in singles and doubles.
‘We’ve got a couple of WhatsApp groups going and it helps drive you on. We are giving each other tactical information about opponents,’ he said. Aside from anything, the guaranteed £55,000 for playing in the first round proper makes a huge difference to someone whose earnings are limited, even at the best of times.