GOOD TRY, TARA
But Moore and Broady crash out
TARA MOORE managed to produce one of t hose eternally frustrating British performances that promise much and yet i nevitably seem to result in crushing defeat. It’s the hope that gets you, every time, whatever sport it happens to be.
The 21-year- old’s blistering forehand helped her fight back to level the match at one set all against 2010 Wimbledon finalist Vera Zvonareva overnight and she gained an early break of serve in the third when play resumed on Court No 2 yesterday.
But, serving for a place in the second round at 5-4, an all-too familiar case of nerves overtook the British No 5. She slipped to 0-40, had a let-off when Zvonareva missed a forehand and then saved another break point, only to double fault and gift the game to her Russian opponent.
Moore insisted Zvonareva, a former world No 2 who has slipped to 566 in the rankings after two years dogged by injury, did not ‘give her anything’ but, although the British player managed to hold two further service games before losing 9-7 in the third set, the collective chorus of groans around Court No 2 told the real story.
After fighting so hard for two hours and 45 minutes over two days, the Briton had choked when i t mattered most against an opponent whose pedigree certainly outshone her performance.
Both players had needed wildcards to make the main draw, but only one seized her opportunity with both hands.
Moore, however, had only praise for Zvonareva, who will meet Donna Vekic of Croatia in the second round. ‘She played good on the big points,’ said Moore. ‘She didn’t give me anything.
‘She made me work for everything. I think I did the same for her. She had to try very hard to beat me. I pushed her to her limits.’
Perhaps i t was l i ttle wonder Moore was so upbeat after a day in which she earned £31,500 for losing in the first round of the singles and then in the ladies’ doubles with partner Johanna Konta.
To her credit, however, her industry and bubbly personality also saw her raise £3,921 for the Rally for Bally, a charity in memory of Elena Baltacha who died last month aged only 30. A mobile telephone company donated £3 each time Moore pumped her fist and then added a further £3,000 after she managed 307 such celebrations during her t wo matches yesterday.
Naomi Broady, though, barely had time for celebrations of any kind as she was comprehensively beaten 6-3, 6-2 by former world No 1 Caroline Wozniacki in just 59 minutes.
Wozniacki said: ‘I felt good out there. It was nice to play on a big court like Court No 1.
‘I got to break her early in both sets, which gave me a cushion. She (Broady) has a big serve and some big ground strokes, so i t was important to keep focused and keep on top in my service games.
‘ It definitely gives me some confidence.
‘She has the game for grass and I felt like I got a lot of returns in, which was very important. I feel like I’m in good form.’
Broady apologised to Wozniacki when they shook hands at the net ‘for not giving her a match for her next round’, but said the experience had given her extra motivation to come back and win on such a big stage.
Broady said: ‘I very much enjoyed it, but I didn’t enjoy my tennis. It’s frustrating I didn’t play better, but it’s given me a new drive.
‘I want to play better on there and win.’
The Briton also said she was ‘unbothered’ by her long-running dispute with the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA), who have not funded her since cutting off her support after pictures of a night out appeared on social media seven years ago.
Broady said: ‘Hopefully everyone can move on now. I don’t hate them as people. I’m not going to waste my time hating the LTA — I’m just going to focus on my tennis. They are not really relevant.’