Liam Broady was thrilled to banish nerves and prevail in an all-British battle at the LTA’s Rothesay International Eastbourne on Tuesday.
Stockport player Broady was up against compatriot Jan Choinski in the opening round, with Broady having received a main draw wildcard and Choinski reaching the main draw as a lucky loser.
And Broady was able to control proceedings on Centre Court, winning 6-3 6-4 to reach the second round.
It was an important win for the 29-year-old, who admitted he was still disappointed from his loss to Adrian Mannarino at the LTA’s cinch Championships at Queen’s a week ago.
He said: “It is definitely nice here. I’ve been coming to Eastbourne for a good few years now. It’s a special place to prepare for Wimbledon as well.
“I’m just glad that I got a win this week. I had a loss last week against Mannarino, I was a set and a break up in that one. I was a little bit nervy, especially after last week, but I’m just glad to get over the line and looking forward to the next one.”
It was not always an easy match for Broady on Tuesday, against an opponent with a game suited to grass courts.
But Broady believes that his greater experience on the surface helped him over the line in key moments of the contest.
“It was a tough match, he’s a really good player,” added Broady.
“He might not be as comfortable on grass but he’s got a big serve, big groundstrokes, so it wasn’t going to be easy for either of us.
“I’m just happy to get the win at the end of the day.”
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