Jan Choinski leads Britain’s charge at Wimbledon as a ballerina’s son dances in the second round

He was a little-known son of a dancer from Germany who was leading the British men’s charge at Wimbledon while Jan Choinski danced in the second round.

It was his biggest victory just a year after suffering a bout of covid and glandular fever. The wild card world number 164 defeated Serbian Dusan Lajovic in four sets to record his first ATP Tour victory, after compatriot Liam Broady said he was inspired to win against Constant Lestienne by reading a book about Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City .

Choinski’s mother was born in Southampton but moved to Germany after a season at London’s Royal Ballet School, while the 27-year-old’s father is from Poland, the nation of his second-round opponent Hubert Hurkacz.

“My mother’s side of the family is completely British, my father is from Poland,” said Choinski (right). ‘I told the LTA: ‘Look guys, I’ve been thinking about this for a long time – my willingness to switch and play for Great Britain is pretty high.

They said they’d love for me to change. We had a great connection from the beginning. I want to end my career playing for Great Britain.

Choinski’s illness caused his ranking to plummet to the level where he was barely getting any points.

“I was 26 at the time and had almost lost all my ranking points,” he added. “I never wanted to leave tennis, I just thought I have more in myself and I want to show it.”

‘My love and passion for the sport is so great. After my second surgery, I basically locked myself in the National Tennis Center in Roehampton: we worked all day, sometimes I slept there.

The 29-year-old Broady recorded his first straight-sets win at SW19 by beating Lestienne in a rain-affected match and thanked Manchester City for the inspiration.

The Stockport-born fan of the treble winners said: “I recently read a book, called Pep: The Evolution, and I find it fascinating.” Elite sport and business, there are interchangeable things that you can take from anything.

‘I can say it now, City is the best team in the world. So I learn from them, they are amazing. The club supports me so much that they tweeted me today. I am grateful that they keep track of my career in the same way that I keep track of the football club.

Liam Broady is also safe in the second round of The Championships

Broady’s love for City did not stop there, as he later compared his second-round opponent, powerful Norwegian world number 4 Casper Ruud, to Erling Haaland.

“Norway is good at producing great athletes,” said Broady, who seemed more focused than ever, especially after an hour-long rain interruption. They are both beasts. Erling, physically a beast, Casper has a game beast. He absolutely busts the ball.

‘This is the reason why I play tennis, it is to have these opportunities. I’m proud of the fact that I played Andy Murray on Center Court at Wimbledon (in 2016). He may have slapped me for a few hours, but that’s a fantastic thing in my eyes.

Look, everyone wants to play Center Court at Wimbledon. It’s like playing a Champions League final. I’m playing No 4 in the second world round at Wimbledon. I’ll play it again in Stockport if I have to.

Dan Evans was perhaps saved by bad light as his match with Frenchman Quentin Halys was abandoned with the Brit down two sets.

The 33-year-old Evans, who has admitted his season has been terrible, seemed agitated and angry with himself, so the fresh start this morning may be good for him.