Marcus Willis closes in on Wimbledon main draw return with Liam Broady qualifying win
Friday 30 June 2017 11:21, UK
Marcus Willis is one match away from a return to the Wimbledon main draw after winning the all-British qualifying meeting with Liam Broady.
The 26-year-old, who memorably faced Roger Federer on Centre Court last year, ran out a 7-6 (2) 6-7 (2) 6-2 winner at Roehampton in their rain-delayed clash to book a meeting with Ukraine's Illya Marchenko.
Broady, 23, was also looking for a second successive appearance at the Grand Slam, having been beaten by Andy Murray in the first round last year.
But it is Willis, who won six qualifiers to reach the championships 12 months ago, who will face world No 117 Marchenko for a place in Friday's main draw.
"I'm playing pretty well here. My next round is very difficult but I'll go out and give it everything I've got. I have nothing to lose," said Willis.
"He's very solid, normally quite a bad match-up for someone like me, with a good backhand, a good serve, he moves well.
"I'm a better player than last year, I'm fitter, faster and moving better. I was a very good player last year but Mr Federer took me out. I still maintain if I hadn't played him I could have won more matches there."
Willis, who is currently the British number nine and ranked 374 in the world, but defeated world number 148 Andrej Martin in the first round of qualifying.
The first set of the all-British affair was tightly contested, yet in the tie-break Willis grabbed a crucial early mini-break before running away with the tiebreak against Broady, the world No 384.
Broady secured a break in the third game of the second set before Willis promptly broke back, although Broady took the tie-break.
However with daylight fading Willis regained control at the beginning of the third set securing two breaks of serve to race through the decider.
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