Hamish Stewart’s Journey to Wimbledon Qualifying
In a remarkable bid to qualify for the Wimbledon men’s singles tournament, 25-year-old Hamish Stewart from Strathblane, Scotland, has successfully navigated through three rounds of the world 550 qualifying event. Stewart’s journey began on a high note as he triumphed over former Davis Cup competitor Liam Broady with a score of 4-6, 6-4, 7-5, earning one of the four wild cards allocated to British players for Wimbledon qualifying.
Turning Point Against Vacherot
On Monday, fate played a pivotal role when Stewart faced Valentin Vacherot of Monaco. While Stewart was down 6-4, 6-5, he saved a match point before Vacherot sadly slipped on the grass, leading him to retire from the match. This turn of events allowed Stewart to secure his place in the next round.
Next Challenge and Background
Having previously participated in Junior Wimbledon during his younger years, Stewart will now compete against 21-year-old French player Luca Van Assche. Van Assche, who boasts a career-high ranking of 63 but is currently at 186, recently outperformed Juan Manuel Cerundolo, the third seed of the qualifying event, with a convincing scoreline of 7-6, 6-2.
Prior to his victory over Broady, who has seen his ranking fall to 632, Stewart also defeated Ben Jones, ranked 620, with a steady 6-4, 6-3 performance. Although Stewart has primarily been active on the ITF Futures circuit, he recently faced a setback while attempting to qualify for a Challenger event in Ilkley, where he lost 7-6, 6-2 to the 191st-ranked Murphy Cassone from the United States.
Future Matches and Wimbledon Preparations
If Stewart can best Van Assche, he will need to overcome either Leandro Riedi of Switzerland, currently 374th in the world, or Federico Agustin Gomez from Argentina, who is seeded 24th and ranked 134. With Wimbledon set to commence on June 30, Scotland will also see Jacob Fearnley and Cameron Norrie participating directly in the main draw.
For those eager to follow Stewart’s progress, live scores, results, and the order of play are available for fan engagement.
