ILKLEY/STARNBERG, June 13, 2022
Two Britons qualified for the main draw of the €134,920 Ilkley Trophy ATP Challenger Tour grass-court event on Monday.
Hertfordshire’s Charles Broom, who picked up the biggest win of his career on Sunday against French veteran Gilles Simon, defeated Jason Jung from Chinese Taipei 7-6(9), 6-4.
“Yeah it was good overall. I played some of the big points really well and I think that’s honestly what swung the match. I had spells where I played really well, spells where I thought he played a bit better and you know I was up pretty big in the second set and had a chance early and then suddenly he found a bit of rhythm and momentum and so I felt like I did well to steady the ship, keep my head a bit and played a really good game at 5-4. I am really happy with how it turned out in the end but probably took the long way around to get there,” Broom said.
Thirty-one-year-old Daniel Cox from Lancashire thrilled the Centre Court spectators with a win over Switzerland’s Antoine Bellier 6-4, 4-6, 6-2. Cox last played at the Ilkley Trophy ATP Challenger event in 2016 where he lost in the final round of qualifying.
Main draw action also started on Monday at Ilkley Lawn Tennis & Squash Club. Former Wimbledon quarterfinalist Fernando Verdasco from Spain was up 6-0, 1-0 when his opponent Mikhail Kukushkin of Kazakhstan retired injured. US-American Jack Sock, a former World No. 8, got his week underway by beating compatriot Michael Mmoh 6-3, 6-3.
Ilkley Trophy Results
