Broady back from the dead to qualify in Oz
Liam Broady pulled off an astounding comeback to book his place in the main draw of Tennis’s Australian Open and seal a dream first round tie with Aussie firebrand Nick Kyrgios.
Broady trailed by a set and 5-2 and was as much as 4000/1 to win with one bookmaker at one stage only, to storm back and seal a sensational and emotional victory.
The Stockport born left hander, who was seeded Number 10, was up against in-form Russian Roman Safiullin who had starred for his nation in their recent run to the ATP Cup semi final.
Safiullin who had ended Broady’s quest to qualify in Roland Garros eight months ago demonstrated his recent electric form by storming into an early 3-0 lead, only for Broady to peg him back as the Manchester-based Broady started to find his range in the Melbourne evening sun.
Having forced Safiullin into a forehand error to break back, Broady then looked set to take the lead when he brought up three break points in the seventh game, but Safiullin showed all his mettle to hold on and the 24 year old Russian drew first blood in the tenth game when out of nowhere he found two blistering returns which Hawkeye showed had clipped the baseline to bring up a set point.
The under-pressure Broady sadly chose the worst possible moment to deliver a double fault on set point to allow Safiullin to clinch the opener 6-4.
Broady brought up a break point in the third game of the second set but again he was unable to convert and when Safiullin broke and then held for a 5-2 lead it appeared that Broady’s brave attempt to qualify would fall short.
However, the changeover brought about a remarkable transformation as Broady refused to leave the tournament without a fight, holding to love, and then breaking to love as the under-pressure Russian’s game became increasingly ragged.
Broady completed his third consecutive game without losing a point to draw level at 5-5 and despite being denied three times when serving to force a tie break, Broady was finally able to take the set into a decider.
A sensational backhand winner started the tie-break going the way of the Heaton Chapel star and he took it 7-2 with a combination of winners and Safiullin errors.
The Russian was gesturing his disbelief and anger to his entourage during the changeover, but managed to compose himself to exchange holds early on in the decider.
Broady’s drive to complete the win was now irresistible with the Russian’s game disintegrating in response to Broady’s persistence and consistency and at 3-2 a sumptuous down-the-line winner set Broady up for a break point which he converted to break the Russian to love and bring up a 4-2 lead.
A routine hold heaped the pressure back on Safiullin and Broady’s dominance was such that despite trailing 40-0 in the eighth game, he won the last five points of the match to turn a 40-0 deficit into another break and bring up a 4-6 7-6 (2) 6-2 victory before collapsing to the ground and kissing the Melbourne tarmac in recognition of the emotion and significance of his victory.
This is only the second time that Broady has qualified for a grand slam, following his qualification for the Roland Garros tournament in 2020 and when the qualifiers were placed in the main draw, the mouthwatering prospect of facing Aussie wild-man Nick Kyrgios on his home turf became a reality to cap a memorable and thrilling day for Broady.