JAMES MCGEE’S HOPES of reaching the main draw at Wimbledon for the first time are still alive after he produced an incredible comeback to advance to the second stage of qualifying this evening.
Trailing 4-1 in the third and deciding set to Ruben Ramirez Hidalgo, the Dubliner showed incredible resolve to fight his way back and win the next five games en route to a 6-7, 6-3, 6-4 victory.
It is the first time the 30-year-old has safely negotiated the first round of qualifying at SW19 and his reward for tonight’s win is a meeting with 19-year-old Russian Andrey Rublev, who is ranked 92nd in the world.
After a tight opening set, McGee, ranked 210th in the world, lost the tie break 8-6 but stormed back to level the match before clinching victory in the most dramatic of circumstances on Court 8 at Roehampton.
The Castleknock native narrowly missed out on qualification for the main draw at the Australian Open this year with his only Grand Slam appearance coming at the 2014 US Open.
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