Interview with Boys's Doubles
Champions Liam Broady and Tom Farquharson of the
Wimbledon 2010 Final
Wimbledon 2010
By LadyDragon
WIMBLEDON, United
Kingdom --(LadyDragon.com)
04/07/10--Q. What is it like to be British champions
at Wimbledon?
LIAM BROADY: It's kind of surreal, you know. You're on
court even in the finals and you're match point up and
it's kind of like you're still thinking, Can we do this?
Can we not?
Obviously we got the match point out of the way. Once we
did, it just felt awesome.
TOM FARQUHARSON: I mean, I don't think either of us know
how to explain it really. Playing on Court 1 with all
that support, it was, I don't know, just unbelievable.
To win it was, you know, can't describe it.
Q. Court 1, it seemed very useful to have Hawk-Eye
available.
LIAM BROADY: Yeah. Well, Tom did that quite well. He
questioned a few and got every one he questioned I think.
On a few he was like, shall I question it? Shall I not?
TOM FARQUHARSON: I wasn't too comfortable to be honest
questioning it. I was like, Well, Hawk-Eye is here. Give
it a go.
Yeah, that was really weird, having Hawk-Eye.
Q. You said it was great to have so much support on
court. Who was there from your families?
LIAM BROADY: Uhm, well, my whole family was. Well, my
whole close family.
Q. Your dad?
LIAM BROADY: My dad, my mum.
Q. That's Shirley, you mum?
LIAM BROADY: Shirley.
Q. Age?
LIAM BROADY: I'm not sure. Yeah, 40 something. And then,
yeah, my sister and a few other friends.
Q. What about you, Tom?
TOM FARQUHARSON: I don't know about ages either. I've got
my whole family there. Brother, sister, mum, dad. My
other brother is actually in France, so he had to miss
it, which is a shame.
Yeah, lots of friends, as well. Just family, friends, and
also like people that have helped me out not only on the
tennis side of things but, like, off the court. I think
it's just important having people there to support you
and back you.
I think it was really nice to have them there today.
Q. I suppose you guys are a testament that British
tennis can produce winners and champions.
LIAM BROADY: Well, yeah. But, you know, we were a few
rounds away from having a winner in the boys' singles and
girls' singles. Sometimes it doesn't work out right.
On a good day Ollie could have won the semifinal match,
but it's just the way it worked out.
Q. What are your ambitions? Others have won and not
done great things in tennis. What are your ambitions?
TOM FARQUHARSON: Uhm, well, I mean, just to keep going
really. I mean, this is my last year that I can play
junior Wimbledon anyway, so I'm gonna start playing the
men's circuit.
And, uhm, hopefully, you know, come back here in the next
year. You know, I don't know. I just want to keep
improving and now start playing the men's tournaments.
Q. Liam, you're from Stockport, I believe. Obviously
other famous tennis players from many years ago. What do
you think Fred would have made of your win today?
LIAM BROADY: Uhm, I'm not sure, to be honest, because I
didn't know him (laughter).
No, no, I think he would have been proud. Yeah, obviously
another Stockport boy doing well in the tennis,
especially on the grass as well. So, yeah, I think he
would have been happy.
Q. What was it like, the experience of playing on No.
1 Court?
LIAM BROADY: For the first few games I think it was very
nerve-wracking.
TOM FARQUHARSON: I think neither of us expected it to be
so big. It's funny, when you go out -- I don't know about
Liam, but when I would go and watch it when I was
younger, I mean, obviously it seemed massive.
You obviously dream of playing there one day, but when
you actually step out there and you hear the noise, you
know, greeting you when you get out there, the first few
games I think we were both, you know, pretty nervous, but
at the same time loving it.
Q. It's the first all-British boys' doubles final. You
would have been close to your opponents. You know them
well. Can you say a bit about them?
LIAM BROADY: Yeah, we know them really well. Known them
for a fair few years. You know, obviously they're great
players. Got massive serves, great games, great potential
to go on in the game.
And, yeah, can't really say much else. Great guys as
well, yeah.
Q. Does that make it harder or easier or didn't make
any difference that you sort of knew them?
LIAM BROADY: Once you step on court, you step over the
threshold to go on, it's all irrelevant, you know.
Especially with the umpires in that you just forget about
it. You just get on with the game. After the match you're
friends again.
Q. Are you going to celebrate, have a good time at the
champions' dinner tonight, or are you not going?
TOM FARQUHARSON: I haven't discussed it with my family
yet, whether I was going. I actually didn't know about it
until just before we went on actually, when we were given
the ticket. I didn't want to go planning it just before
the match.
Q. Got anything to wear?
TOM FARQUHARSON: This stuff (laughter).
No, apparently you have to have a tuxedo or something. I
don't know. I haven't thought about it at all actually.
Q. What about you, Liam?
LIAM BROADY: Well, we're not too sure yet, because I'm
driving home tonight. So whether we go or not, or we go
for an hour or so, we've got to decide.
Q. Neither of you knew about the champions' dinner
tonight? Didn't think about it yesterday when you were in
the final?
TOM FARQUHARSON: To be honest, I think we were just
concentrating on our matches. When we got to the final, I
mean, we just thought, Okay, we're playing two British
guys now. How are we going to beat them? You know, we
actually had no planning of, Oh, there's a champions'
dinner, anything like that.
I think that was good from both of us to stay that
focused and not let other things get in the way.
Q. Saw you both having a little chat when you made
your first challenge. Is it exciting using Hawk-Eye? Was
that the first time?
TOM FARQUHARSON: Well, yeah, I mean, when you don't have
Hawk-Eye you sort of complain a bit, look at the umpire.
I thought that was out sort of thing.
To have technology that actually says, yeah, I think it
was out, Hawk-Eye, whatever. Yeah, it's like, you know,
the first time we had done it, so it was a bit
strange. But it worked out well.
Q. Tom, have you just finished your A levels?
TOM FARQUHARSON: Well, I took A levels this summer, but
I'm doing it on an Internet course. I'm going to keep
doing A levels for the next few years while I try and,
you know, make an impression on the men's circuit.
Q. What subjects are you doing?
TOM FARQUHARSON: At the moment I'm just doing maths, and
I'm either going to continue that or take up another
subject. I'm not sure.
Q. What about you, Liam?
LIAM BROADY: I've just finished my GCSEs. So I've
finished high school, so I'll just focus on tennis and
leave out the education.
Q. Can you remember which GCSEs you took?
LIAM BROADY: It was maths, science, English, French, PE.
There was one more, but I can't remember it really.
Q. Seems a bit of a long time ago.
LIAM BROADY: Feels like a long time ago already.
Q. Your sister's Naomi has just tweeted saying she was
following it on live scoring from wherever she is. Does
it help you to have a sister that has obviously been
through all of this?
LIAM BROADY: Well, yeah 'cause, you know, bigger sister,
you've always got to listen to her. Bigger, as well,
physically (laughter).
But, no, she's obviously got the experience, so she gives
advice here and there when it helps out dealing with it,
yeah.
Q. When the sort of glory of this has died down in a
week or so, do you think winning this will be the
incentive to go in the gym and help you through the long
practice days and all that sort of thing?
TOM FARQUHARSON: Yeah, I think, uhm, I mean, I played
Wimbledon last year, and it was the best experience of my
life. I think this year's topped it again. I think, you
know, you're always motivated anyway.
But it's like tournaments like this that just keep it --
you know, you're a little bit more motivated. And, you
know, I would love to come back to play men's here.
For me, that's like probably one of the biggest things
for me.
Q. Obviously you said this pairing can't come back
next year for the juniors. Any prospect you can play
later this year?
LIAM BROADY: I guess some Futures and things we could
pair up for sure, yeah. But obviously we're going to try
to focus on the singles game.
TOM FARQUHARSON: Yeah.
LIAM BROADY: Just see where we are.
Q. How long have you been playing together as a pair?
LIAM BROADY: I think it's about three months maybe.
Around about three months.
TOM FARQUHARSON: But in terms of tournaments, we played,
what?
LIAM BROADY: Three and a half.
TOM FARQUHARSON: Three and a half tournaments together.
Q. Liam, your dad famously sort of withdrew you and
Naomi from LTA funding. Do you think that helped progress
your tennis career?
LIAM BROADY: Yeah, well, obviously it gives you the
motivation to fight harder and things, yeah. But I
obviously try to stay clear of the politics and focus on
the game. So, yeah.
Q. Saw you yesterday after your semifinal signing lot
of autographs, and then again today. Is that a new
experience for you?
LIAM BROADY: Uhm, well, I've done it before, but it never
gets old, does it? It's quite a lot of fun. I don't mind
it.
Q. Tom, on the fact sheet it says that your coach is
Sandy. Is that your dad?
TOM FARQUHARSON: No, my brother who is in France at the
moment.
Q. Is that an older brother presumably?
TOM FARQUHARSON: Yes.
Q. How old is he?
TOM FARQUHARSON: 26, yeah.
Q. What are your mum and dad called?
TOM FARQUHARSON: Sarah and Jamie.
Q. What is the name of the club in Marseille where he
coaches?
TOM FARQUHARSON: Well, he coaches in a few. It's mainly
in a club called Calas, which is in Aix-en-Provence just
outside Marseille. I'm very lucky to be able to go over
there and train at that club and play with some really
good French players there, old and young.
They've got so many good players out there, like 30-year-olds
that still, you know, they'll whip you up on a clay
court. Yeah, I'm very lucky also to have him there, as
well. With family, there's no one else that will back you
as much as your own family. So I think that's important.
Q. How long have you been out there doing that?
TOM FARQUHARSON: It's actually quite recent. I mean, I
went out there for like three weeks at a time, like
twice. Uhm, and I'm planning to go out there when I'm not
playing tournaments, here or abroad. That will be my
base, down south in the France.
Q. Do you get help with the LTA?
TOM FARQUHARSON: I get Team AEGON from the LTA, which is
appreciated. It's a big help. I think also we'd like to
thank the All England Club for offering us this wild
card. I think we really appreciate it.
LIAM BROADY: Without it, we wouldn't go anywhere.
TOM FARQUHARSON: We wouldn't be here.
LIAM BROADY: It's great.
Q. You hit with Rafa and Andy last week. Too busy to
send you any messages?
LIAM BROADY: I didn't take down any of their phone
numbers or anything, so, no. If I do go to the players'
ball tonight, then I guess I'll see them there.
Q. Did you have a chance to speak to your mother
afterwards? Have you had a chance to speak to her yet?
LIAM BROADY: Not yet, but I'll go and shower and things
and speak to her after.
Q. Liam, you mentioned your sister, Naomi, is
elsewhere at the moment. Is she playing in another
tournament at the moment?
LIAM BROADY: At the moment she's in a Paris at
Mouratoglou, a tennis academy, which is where I go every
now and then when I need some serious practice. She's
there for the same thing.
Q. Everyone raves about the Mouratoglou academy. What
is so impressive about it?
LIAM BROADY: I think it's fantastically organized. It's
very flexible so you can do your own thing. I don't know.
It's just a friendly atmosphere, just unbelievable. It's
great.
Q. How does it work? Do you get assigned an individual
coach for each time you're there?
LIAM BROADY: You can get a coach from the academy, so a
French coach presumably, or you can bring a coach with
you. You know, it's flexible in that way.
Q. Do you take your dad?
LIAM BROADY: Every time, yeah.
Q. Does he do anything else apart from coaching you?
Does he work?
LIAM BROADY: I don't know.
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