It’s all over for my aunt Naomi
TWO days earlier, Naomi Broady had celebrated her first-round win by sweeping her young niece into her arms for a kiss.
Yesterday, though, five - year- old Lola-Rose could only watch in dismay as her aunt was defeated.
Copying her aunt’s sporty style in a visor and sweatbands, the little girl covered her face with her hands as Miss Broady was knocked out of the Championships in a hard- fought match against Caroline Wozniacki.
The 24-year-old was one of two British players to crash out of Wimbledon yesterday, leaving only Andy Murray and Heather Watson in the running.
Tennis fans had been rooting for Miss Broady after it emerged she had funded her own career since being dropped by the Lawn Tennis Association over a provocative photograph taken when she was only 17. Miss Broady has had no coach, physiotherapist or nutritionist since she was stripped of LTA funding in 2007 for posting a picture on a social networking site that showed her posing in front of a condom machine.
Yesterday the Wimbledon wildcard from Cheshire served up several aces against Danish Miss Wozniacki, 23, but was beaten in two sets.
The other British hopeful to crash out was Tara Moore, 21. She served twice for her match but eventually lost in three sets to Russian Vera Zvonareva, failing to make it to the second round.
She did, however, raise £513 for charity. The British number five was promised £3 by phone company Three every time she fist-pumped on court. The cash goes to Rally for Bally, in memory of British player Elena Baltacha who died of liver cancer last month aged 30.