Reigning Wimbledon champions Julian Cash and Lloyd Glasspool threw their arms into the air, engaging the crowd who had helped them through a tricky three-set contest. It is no wonder their celebrations were so enthusiastic - Brighton local Cash and Redditch native Glasspool were truly tested in their men’s doubles round of 16.
The third seeds had looked set for a routine victory, after storming through the first set in just 26 minutes. But their opponents responded to do the same in the second, and nothing separated the two teams until a last-minute break of serve at 6-5 in the final set.
After an hour and 40 minutes of play, the world No. 6 pairing ultimately prevailed 6-3 3-6 7-5 against Neil Oberleitner and Petr Nouza.
“I’ve always said No. 3 Court is one of my favourite courts here,” said Cash. “I love that it’s got the stadium feel, but it’s got the ground passes. Everyone is having an unbelievable day out there and it also makes it slightly easier to get the friends and family in to watch.
“The crowd were class. They really helped those last three looks that we had to break. They were getting pumped up, applying some pressure to our opponents and no doubt they helped us get over the line.”
Amidst shouts of ‘it’s coming home’, Cash and Glasspool channelled the determined spirit of the England football team's resilient 3-2 win over Mexico.
They too are holding the nation’s hopes on their shoulders, as they join Henry Patten as the only Brits left in the men's, women's, and mixed doubles at Wimbledon.
“We’re pretty used to doubles coming down to one or two points here and there,” said Glasspool. “We’re definitely a team that focuses on always holding, getting to the tight moments at the end of sets. That’s what we did today and they blinked first.”
The British duo battled through gusty conditions in south-west London to earn their spot in the last eight.
Standing between Cash, Glasspool, and another semi-final berth at the All England Club are sixth seeds Mate Pavić and Marcelo Arévalo.
“I would say they’re the most in-form pair on the grass,” said Cash of their quarter-final opponents. “We practised with them here before the tournament started and there is lots for us to learn from that.
“We’ve got a day off now to prepare. A good suggestion from Lloyd was to get a lefty hitter in and try to get used to Pavić’s serve tomorrow, which isn’t something you always get the luxury of doing.
“We’re both feeling good. I feel like a lot of that good spirit from last year is really coming through and the crowd is feeling it.”
For the latest updates on the British summer grass court season, visit the LTA website, lta.org.uk.
