Luca Pow admitted he was simply unable to match his opponent after his Wimbledon Qualifying campaign came to an end in Round 1.
Solihull player Pow, who trains at the LTA’s National Academy in Loughborough, was in action at the qualification event for the second time, having made his debut last year.
And out on Court 15 he was simply outclassed by experienced grass courter Gijs Brouwer, the Dutchman prevailing 6-3 6-1 to progress to the second round.
Though unhappy with some aspects of his game, the 18-year-old conceded there was little he could have done against an opponent ranked just outside the world’s top 150.
He said: “I felt a bit uneasy and obviously the guy I played was better than me overall. I just found it tough out there to play. My tennis didn’t really come through today, which wasn’t too good.
“He mainly just kept solid, kept consistent, kept slicing it, kept covering the court. I was struggling to serve, to get it in, and the balls were coming in fast. It was tough for me just to control the ball really.”
Pow had received a wildcard into Wimbledon Qualifying after being crowned U18 LTA Junior National champion back in April, having also won the title in 2022 as well.
And though his qualifying campaign has now come to a close, he was pleased to once again get the chance to compete in Roehampton – with a spot in Junior Wimbledon also secured.
“Winning it was great, and two years running for Qualies is unbelievable,” he added.
“My summer build-up has been pretty good, I’ve come back here and I’ve had a lot of training on the grass. I was at Ilkley last week in preparation – the winning of the Championships and what comes of it is special. It was really good to come here again.
“I’ve got Junior Wimbledon next week. I’m looking forward to it – I’ve had a lot of prep on grass, and I’ll go back to training, and we’ll go again.”
For the latest action on the British summer grass court season, check out the LTA website
Image: Kane Smith
