WIMBLEDON, England — When Andy Murray finally ended the great title drought for British men at Wimbledon in 2013, the pressure on British players supposedly eased. But it never disappeared.
James Ward, the son of a London taxi driver, still feels a weight on his back, not for failing to win Wimbledon, but for failing to win more than one match here in six previous tries dating to 2007.
Just moments after he beat Jiri Vesely, 6-2, 7-6 (4), 3-6, 6-3, on Thursday to advance to the third round of Grand Slam event for the first time, Ward said on court in a television interview that maybe now people could get off his back.