Britain’s Billy Harris is just one win away from his first Grand Slam main draw appearance after a tough victory in the second round of French Open qualifying. The 29-year-old triumphed over France’s Manuel Guinard 6-3, 3-6, 7-6 (10-4) on the Paris clay.
Harris could soon join Andy Murray and Dan Evans at Roland-Garros, as the British duo have been awarded a wildcard for the men’s doubles. Interestingly, all 13 other doubles wildcards went to French pairs.
In other news, former world number three Dominic Thiem lost in his final French Open appearance. Thiem, retiring later this year, fell 6-2, 7-5 to Finland’s Otto Virtanen. An on-court ceremony was held for Thiem, where the 30-year-old received a commemorative trophy.
Currently ranked 202 in the world, Harris is the sole Briton left in the men’s or women’s qualifying tournaments. He will face 14th seed Valentin Vacherot of Monaco for a spot in the main draw, which begins on Sunday.
Harris won his first ATP Tour match in November last year, having previously driven to tournaments in a Ford Transit van to save money. This marks only his fourth Grand Slam qualifying contest.
Burrage to Miss French Open
British number three Jodie Burrage has confirmed she will miss the French Open after injuring her ankle. The 24-year-old, who has had an injury-hit 2024 and underwent wrist surgery in March, was aiming to qualify for the main draw at Roland Garros.
“Yesterday I fell and rolled my ankle whilst playing points on the clay prepping for Roland Garros,” Burrage shared on Instagram. “With how it is right now, I’ve had to withdraw from next week. I won’t know the extent of the damage until I get further scans in the next few days.”
Burrage last competed on February 24, losing to Marina Melnikova, and now faces a race to be fit for Wimbledon, which starts on July 1.
Credit: BBC Sport
