Incoming women’s tennis player claims girls’ doubles title at Wimbledon
Rising sophomore Govind Nanda and his partner Liam Draxl advanced to the finals of the Wimbledon boys’ doubles draw, eventually losing to Jonas Forejtek and Jiri Lehecka of the Czech Republic, 7-5, 6-4. (Andy Bao/Daily Bruin)
By Jared Tay
July 15, 2019 12:29 a.m.
A Bruin was crowned doubles champion at arguably the most prestigious and historic tournament in the world of tennis.
Rising UCLA women’s tennis freshman Abigail Forbes and her parter Savannah Broadus claimed the girls’ doubles title at Wimbledon – a Grand Slam tournament held annually during the summer at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in London. While the tournament’s ladies’ and gentlemen’s draws are most widely watched, the tournament also includes junior competition.
From UCLA men’s tennis, rising sophomore Govind Nanda entered the boys’ doubles draw.
Forbes and fellow American Broadus won the doubles title Sunday, defeating Latvia’s Kamilla Bartone and Russia’s Oksana Selekhmeteva by a score of 7-5, 5-7, 6-2. Forbes and Broadus won 75% of points on their first serve on their way to the victory.
The pair was unseeded in the draw, but defeated seeded teams on two different occasions as they advanced to championship weekend. In their quarterfinal round, Forbes and Broadus triumphed over the No. 2-seeded pair Anastasia Tikhonova and Alina Charaeva 6-7 (3), 6-3, 9-7.
Forbes is listed as a Blue Chip recruit by the Tennis Recruiting Network. Hailing from Raleigh, North Carolina, Forbes was ranked No. 5 in her recruiting class and is set to join the Bruins in the fall, coming in as the women’s team lost three starters to graduation.
Nanda and partner Liam Draxl of Canada were seeded No. 7 and advanced through four rounds of play to reach the final Sunday, where they faced the No. 1-seeded team from the Czech Republic, Jonas Forejtek and Jiri Lehecka.
Nanda and Draxl were defeated in straight sets, 7-5, 6-4. In a match that lasted one hour and 13 minutes, Forejtek and Lehecka captured three of four break point opportunities.
En route to the final, Nanda and Draxl did not drop a set. In the quarterfinals, the pair upset the No. 2 seed – Shintaro Mochizuki and Holger Vitus Nodskov Rune – 6-3, 7-5.
With the Bruins, Nanda posted a 12-12 doubles record, playing mostly with rising redshirt junior Connor Rapp. Nanda also won the Pacific Coast Men’s Doubles Championship with UCLA men’s tennis assistant coach Rikus De Villiers in February.
Nanda, who turns 19 in February, will be unable to participate in junior Grand Slam tournaments next year.
