Bowman survives tough affair on the artificial clay

David Bowman notched up his second straight win against big hitter James Roberts 6-4, 7-5 at Wigmore. Bowman, no fan of the slow and slippery courts, made a decisive breakthrough in the first game, breaking Roberts before holding serve to take the first set. Bowman broke early in the second set, but Roberts, not going down without a fight, broke back with some stunning passing shots. It was Bowman, though, who proved to be more consistent and notched up two match points. The first was wasted with a double fault, and a second with a forehand slammed into the tape, in similar style to Andy Murray’s fifth set point against Roger Federer in the Australian Open. Bowman held his nerve, however, and after wasting two more match points when serving at 6-5, he stormed into the net off a serve, clearly worrying Roberts who duly responded by putting the return into the bottom of the net. “I hate the artificial clay,” said Bowman critically. “I’m not in a hurry to play on it again.”