The grass-court expertise of American Denis Kudla proved a hurdle too far for Liam Broady in a close second round match at Surbiton on Thursday.
The 29 year old American went into the game with a 3-1 head to head advantage against Broady, and with two of those previous victories having come on the grass of Nottingham where he was a finalist last year, this was always going to be a tough assignment.
The threat Kudla posed was reinforced when he secured an early break in the third game consistently keeping the ball in play, and forcing errors on the Broady backhand to go ahead.
After three routine holds, Broady was under pressure again in the seventh game, double faulting to bring up a Deuce but two solid first serves allowed him to stay in touch at 3-4.
Kudla had been holding authoritatively but the American betrayed nerves when dropping the opening point as he aimed to serve for the first set with an uncharacteristic forehand error. And when he pushed a backhand long he was soon under pressure at 0-30. Kudla showed his frustration as he pushed a forehand wide to bring Broady back on level terms at 5-5.
And the momentum had shifted as Broady followed up another solid hold by forcing a set point when Kudla pushed a backhand wide at 30-40. Kudla found a big first serve and despite Broady defending bravely including returning one smash , the American was able to stave off the danger point and despite being pegged back again by an excellent Broady point on his first game point, he ultimately sealed the game to take the opener into a tie-break.
Kudla drew first blood in the breaker when a Broady forehand was adjudged to have gone just wide, but Broady who had been forced to recover from behind throughout the first set was at it again with a brilliant return to a Kudla first serve which forced the American to hit long and restore parity at 5-5. A crucial and contentious call, when a Kudla serve which appeared to have gone long, was called in brought up Kudla’s first set point and a superb forehand winner saw Kudla seal the tie-break, 7-5.
The second set started as an equally tight affair, and neither player had looked in any danger of dropping serve until Kudla was able to apply pressure to the Broady delivery in the set’s sixth game, after a fortunate netcord and a service return winner saw Kudla bring up a break point.
Broady hit a service winner to get back to Deuce, but the American made the decisive breakthrough two points later when he dominated the rally from the start and forced Broady to hit a backhand wide.
Broady kept fighting and despite going to Deuce in his next service game he was able to hold, but was unable to apply enough pressure to the Kudla serve and the right-hander was able to further his impressive record on grass when securing a 7-6 6-3 win.
Kudla’s own pedigree was further underlined when he defeated Andy Murray in a tight semi-final to reach a grass court Challenger final for the second successive year two days later.
Meanwhile for Broady a very full day saw him on court twice more before the day was out, as he teamed up with Jay Clarke in doubles to record a 6-3 7-6 win over compatriots Alastair Gray and Ryan Peniston before falling to Swiss Antoine Bellier and Brit Billy Harris 6-2 6-7 10-4 to bring an exhausting day to a close.
Two-day comeback win as Broady beats Clarke and the rain
A well-timed rain delay saw Liam Broady overcome a sluggish opening set in Tuesday’s showers to march into the second round with a much improved display bringing up a 4-6 6-3 6-2 win in Wednesday’s sunshine at Surbiton.
The clash between the British number five and six was scheduled to be the last game on the centre court on Monday’s opening day but persistent rain prevented the players from following Andy Murray on to the show court in the season’s grass court opener.
The players did manage to get on court on Tuesday, but Broady made a sluggish start in the gloomy conditions, being taken to Deuce in his opening game before he brought up the opening game when a Clarke return drifted wide.
The tide in the early exchanges seemed to be in Clarke’s favour however and a rally in his opening service game saw Broady reach a commanding position at the net with Clarke forced to put up a despairing lob but Broady could only hit the net with his attempted smash.
And the Stockport left-hander was soon under pressure when he netted a second smash at 1-1 and two points later he hit long to bring up an early break for Clarke.
Broady attempted to get an instant break-back and managed to force Deuce on three occasions but two big unreturned serves from the Derby based 23 year old secured a 3-1 lead.
Both players were holding with relative comfort but Broady had sight of an opportunity as Clarke attempted to serve out the opening set. After an error had gifted Broady the opening point, he managed to get to the net on the next one, but he left his approach a little short and Clarke hit a sizzling forehand winner to pass Broady at the net. A skidding low bounce defeated Broady to bring up set point and fittingly the big-serving Clarke brought up the opening set with an ace out wide.
The umpire quickly brought the players off at that point and despite a couple of false dawns where it appeared that play would return it was around 2.30pm the following day before the players strode out again in front of an expectant Centre court crowd.
Broady looked more assertive from the off and brought up the opening point when he forced Clarke to net after a strong forehand down the line. Clarke restored parity at 1-1 with an ace to show he was not willing to surrender his advantage lightly, but after another dominant hold, Broady brought up his first break point of the match with an aggressive forehand from the back of the court.
After Clarke had saved that one with an unreturned serve, Broady thought he had brought up another one with a forehand, but it was adjudged long and another unreturned serve saw Clarke back to 2-2.
Broady was holding with ease and Clarke was soon under pressure again in the set’s sixth game and he secured the vital break when he hit the service line with a return that forced Clarke to hit long.
Two more dominant Broady service games, including serving out the set to love saw Broady get back on terms.
And both players clearly knew how important it would be to start the deciding set well. An attritional rally saw Broady gradually gain the upper hand to bring up 15-30 and another long rally brought up two early break points for Broady. Clarke managed to save them both, the second with a goo serve out wide, but Broady was now dominating the exchanges and twice forced Clarke to net to bring up a break early in the third set.
Broady delivered a routine hold and when Clarke botched a drop shot he was again two break points down in the next game. It appeared he was going to save the first one when Broady slipped as he approached the net but he somehow managed to push a forehand winner despite almost losing his footing to secure a 3-0 lead.
broady was now holding with confidence and secured a four game lead with an ace, and despite Clarke showing good fight to hold in his next two games, the balance of power was clearly in the left hander’s favour when he brought up three match points after he framed a forehand that looped onto Clarke’s baseline and forced him to hit wide.
Broady had three chances to secure the match but when Clarke netted a good first serve he had only needed the one, holding to love to bring up a 4-6 6-3 6-2 victory and book a second round tie with American Number 7 seed Dennis Kudla who has good pedigree on the grass having beaten Broady on his way to the Nottingham Challenger final last year.