Andy gives Broady French Open boost

STOCKPORT’S Liam Broady thanked Andy Murray after breaking new ground by qualifying for the French Open.

Murray was among the few people in the stands for the match at Roland Garros and provided vocal backing for the British No.6 as he defeated Marc Polmans 7-6 (5) 6-4 in the third round of qualifying.

It is the first time Broady has made it through qualifying at a Grand Slam and he will play in the main draw of one of the four major tournaments for the first time outside Wimbledon.

Broady said: “I started the match pretty bad and then Andy showed up and I think it definitely did help a lot because he is a very loud supporter and for anyone, when Andy Murray’s watching, it can be a bit disconcerting.”

Broady also credited the impact of the Battle of the Brits events, organised by Jamie Murray during the summer, for helping to foster a more supportive environment among British players

“You can’t fault Andy as a tennis player or a human being,” said Broady. “To get to know him a bit better over the last couple of months has been absolutely fantastic.

“During the Battle of the Brits events and since we came out of lockdown I think a lot of the British players have got a lot closer. We’ve got a couple of group chats on WhatsApp and everyone’s been so supportive driving me on, giving me tactics for the players I’ve been playing.”

This was the 12th time Broady has played in a slam qualifying event, the third time he has reached the final round and the first time he has emerged victorious.

The 26-year-old said: “It feels a bit strange, normally I’m leaving disappointed but it felt a bit different this time. I felt more like I’d earned my place here, I was playing well.

“I had a couple of good results on the clay in the Challengers leading up to this and kind of just grew into qualifying with each and every match and now the tournament can start.

“I think naturally I probably quite suit playing on the clay.”