Portsmouth’s Louis Bowden suffers nasty fall during boys singles loss at Wimbledon

Louis Bowden was left cursing a hip injury after a first-round loss in the boys’ singles at Wimbledon.
Louis Bowden in action against Robin Bertrand at Wimbledon. Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images.Louis Bowden in action against Robin Bertrand at Wimbledon. Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images.
Louis Bowden in action against Robin Bertrand at Wimbledon. Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images.

The 16-year-old from Portsmouth a semi-finalist at the LTA Junior National Championships last month, was up against Robin Bertrand, two years his senior and ranked 75th in the world.

Dowden picked up the injury after a nasty fall during the first set, when leading 3-2, after slipping on the slick court 16 surface, writes Jack Lacey-Hatton.

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However, he fought hard with only a narrow tie break costing him the first set, Dowden saving five set points before eventually succumbing to the Frenchman.

Louis Bowden in action against Robin Bertrand. Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images.Louis Bowden in action against Robin Bertrand. Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images.
Louis Bowden in action against Robin Bertrand. Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images.

Both players produced a high-quality match for the spectators, with each showing they could hit some stunning winners from the baseline.

Bowden continued to battle through the pain to keep his serve in the second set, but Bertrand hit a brilliant passing shot to get the crucial break in the fourth game.

He broke again to seal the match, 7-6, 6-1 - a harsh scoreline on Bowden, considering his positive performance.

Bowden said: ‘I went over and felt the pain immediately.

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‘I fell on my hip, which I think played a big part, particularly during the second set with how I could move, which is disappointing.

‘I felt I was playing well, so it was really bad luck for that to happen.

‘The surface was pretty slippery for me, particularly when moving forwards to the net and going down the line.

‘It has rained a lot, so I knew it was something to watch out, but I fell over and it just got more painful as the match went on.

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‘I wanted to keep fighting and never give up, it is a big part of the way I play. I think I can be proud at saving so many set points.

‘I really enjoyed the experience of playing in front of the home crowd. This is my first junior Wimbledon, so I wanted to soak it all up.

‘Luckily, I train on grass a lot, and have a lot of exposure to this surface, particularly in summer. My favourite surface for my own game is clay, but I still really enjoy the grass season.

‘I had never played Bertrand before and didn’t know too much about him. Obviously, I had done some research before the match.

‘He was a nice guy and I think we played a great match.’

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