In a triumph over adversity, Australian wildcard Jason Kubler progressed to the second round of his home grand slam for the first time on Monday afternoon.
Thirteen years after contesting his first Melbourne major, and following six knee surgeries, the 29-year-old defeated Argentina’s Sebastian Baez 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 at John Cain Arena.
When Kubler won match point to set up a showdown against Karen Khachanov, commentator Adam Peacock said Kubler had encountered “more heartache than you could imagine”.
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“What an amazing story, really,” added American tennis coach Brad Stine in commentary.
Kubler’s ATP ranking crashed out of the top 1000 during his injury-plagued years, but he’s now got a career-high ranking of 84.
The Queenslander has also won four of his last five matches, all in the last three weeks.
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“I’m proud of myself,” Kubler said in his press conference.
“I wasn’t sure last year if I’d be in this situation. Then sort of with my year last year, I was able to win a round at the French, the US Open, then have that pretty special run for me at Wimbledon (when he reached the round of 16).
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“It’s kind of cool (that in) … the last four grand slams I’ve been able to win a match in (the) main draw.
“If anything, I’m more proud of that, but also to be able to play in front of the Australian crowd. I haven’t really had the opportunity to do that.
“I think it’s almost like 18 months now injury-free. That’s probably the main thing. I’m getting more confidence by staying out on the court.”
Baez is ranked 44th and has one ATP title to his name, having defeated Frances Tiafoe in the final of last year’s Estoril Open in Portugal.
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