Charles Broom believes he is ready to take the next step in his career following the conclusion of his Wimbledon Qualifying campaign.
St Albans’ player Broom was beaten 6-3 6-4 by Dennis Novak in round two of qualifying action on Wednesday, the Austrian a former top 100 player with huge experience at Grand Slam events.
Despite defeat Broom certainly performed well, continuing the form that saw him defeat Alessandro Giannessi in three sets in his opening round match back on Monday.
And the 25-year-old was happy with the level he was able to produce against Novak, crediting his opponent’s experience and toughness as the reason why the Austrian was able to get over the line.
“I felt like he rushed me pretty well and he maybe played a little bit better than he did last week, so I was constantly under pressure,” said Broom.
“I thought I served well and held my own for a while, but against these guys if you don’t take a chance – and I had a couple in each set – it’s really tough. He made me pay and he deserved the win for sure.
“He served exceptionally well for large spells of the match. He returned well, just put me under lots of pressure. That’s the next level, when they get the opportunity to apply pressure and hold onto a lead, they do that really well. That’s something I’m learning to do, but it takes a bit of time.”
The past few weeks have seen Broom gain invaluable experience, with plenty of opportunities to compete in British grass court events.
And after some encouraging performances across the summer and particularly Roehampton, he is ready to push on further and gain an even greater understanding of life on tour.
Broom added: “I’m just grateful for the learning experience and I want to carry that on through the next few weeks. I’m happy with how things have gone so far.
“It’s been really good, playing loads of guys in that top 200 level means that I’m able to know that I can play at that level consistently. It’s just about doing it week in, week out to get to that next stage of being able to play Challengers, play more Grand Slam qualies.
“I’m excited and ready to work hard. I know what it takes to get there, it’s just going to take a bit of time, a bit of patience. Maybe today I didn’t take my opportunities but if I keep putting myself in those positions, one day it will go my way.
“I’d love to be in this position next year, already in qualifying and vying for a main draw opportunity. That’s really the goal for the next 12 months.”
For the latest action on the British summer grass court season, check out the LTA website
