James Duckworth is set for at least the second biggest pay cheque of his grand slam career after he came from a set down to defeat fellow Australian Chris O’Connell in another all-Australian first-round match-up at the US Open.
Duckworth’s 4-6, 7-6 (7-0), 6-2, 6-3 defeat of O’Connell may have been lost in the wash amid a huge opening two days, but it was an important win for the 30-year-old Duckworth for a variety of reasons
As well as guaranteeing himself the bumper pay day, the Aussie also received a boost in the rankings to jump 10 spots to No.73 in the world, well back inside the cut-off mark for direct entry to future grand slams.
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Duckworth, who has undergone 10 rounds of foot, elbow, shoulder and hip surgery to stay on the court, will pocket a cheque for at least $176,000 for reaching the second round at Flushing Meadows for only the second time in seven attempts.
And he received a telling message from his fiancée after the match.
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“Yeah, it’s a nice bonus,” Duckworth said.
“My fiancée texted me after the match and said ‘well done, you’ve paid for the wedding’.”
The Australian won’t walk down the aisle until the end of next year and said most of the money he makes at Flushing Meadows will go to medical bills and coaching fees, but that won’t stop his partner from putting some aside for their big day.
“Because of my body I’ve been looking to get as much physio help as possible so it will go towards that,” Duckworth said.
“And I suppose my fiancée will try and steal some and put it towards the wedding.”
If Duckworth can upset British 20th seed Dan Evans in the next round, he will take home a minimum of $274,000.
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