Wimbledon Qualifying: Harris and Brogan beaten in final round
By Oli Dickson Jefford at Wimbledon Qualifying
Billy Harris and Anna Brogan both took positives from their Wimbledon campaigns after tasting defeat in the third and final round of qualifying in Roehampton.
In a packed Stadium Court, Manxman Harris faced a tough test against Serbia’s Hamad Medjedovic, who ultimately prevailed 6-4 7-6(6) 6-4.
But despite his loss, Harris believed there was plenty of encouragement to take from a run that saw him defeat Alexander Ritschard and 25th seed Hugo Gaston across the first two rounds.
“The first two matches I was a set down and I came back to win, so I’m happy with that. I’m happy with my level of tennis, it just wasn’t enough this time,” he said.
“It was a very tough match with his serve. He had a big first and even his second serve, you didn’t know where it was going - it was coming down like most people’s first serve. I didn’t have much rhythm as there weren't many long rallies.
“Three straight sets, he’s beaten me fair and square - he was obviously the better player. I’ve just got to take it on the chin.”
Following on from Harris on Stadium Court was Brogan, who had beaten fifth Diana Shnaider on Wednesday night to reach the final stage of qualifying action.
Plenty of fascinating match ups 👀
Find out who the Brits will face in the 1️⃣st round at @Wimbledon— LTA (@the_LTA) June 30, 2023
A contest against China’s Bai Zhuoxuan proved a step too far the Glaswegian, with Zhuoxuan claiming a 6-3 6-0 triumph to progress.
But after a week that saw her go from round one of the Wimbledon Wildcard Playoff to the final round of qualifying, she was still in a buoyant mood.
Brogan added: “I enjoyed the match a lot. I thought I played well, but I came up against a stronger opponent.
“I thought Bai played well, she put me under a lot of pressure into the corners, playing deep and playing fast. I feel happy with how I tried my best.
“I’m very proud, playing here at Wimbledon in the last round of qualifying. There’s so many good players out there, so I feel happy.”
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