Adam Walton has landed his first top-60 win over Miomir Kecmanovic within the opening spherical of the ATP 250 occasion to set a Roland Garros rematch.
Atlanta, United States, 24 July 2024 | Dan Imhoff
Adam Walton is counting his fortunate stars after a call-up to the principle draw for his Atlanta debut on Monday.
The Queenslander, who spent 5 years on the College of Tennessee Knoxville solely a three-hour drive north of the Georgian capital, made probably the most of his fortunate loser place for a 6-4 6-4 win over sixth seed and world No.52 Miomir Kecmanovic – his first over a top-60 opponent and solely his fourth in opposition to anybody within the high 100.
Whereas Thanasi Kokkinakis pulled out of the Atlanta foremost draw, Walton’s elevation attributable to South African Lloyd Harris’ withdrawal ensured there have been nonetheless 5 Australians within the area.
The world No.95 had fallen to Italian Mattia Bellucci within the closing spherical of qualifying however joined compatriots Jordan Thompson, Max Purcell, Chris O’Connell and Aleksandar Vukic in the principle draw.
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One in every of 10 Aussie males within the high 100 – the equal most of any nation alongside the US and France – Walton discovered the camaraderie reassuring, particularly at Wimbledon earlier this month the place he gained his first match at a serious in opposition to Federico Coria earlier than he narrowly succumbed to Francisco Comesana within the subsequent spherical.
“Often, once we go to tournaments earlier than the occasion, greater than doubtless you’ll practise with the opposite Australians, and we will go to dinner and stuff like that collectively,” he mentioned forward of his Wimbledon debut.
“I simply really feel like that type of help in that regard. We’re enjoying playing cards at lunch or doing issues like that, simply mingling round one another and simply the discuss while you’re speaking to one another, and I feel everybody’s in good spirits and bringing everybody up.”
Whereas the grass-court season landed him a primary ATP foremost draw win in Mallorca and maiden Grand Slam main-draw win, competing Stateside had lengthy reaped rewards for the 25-year-old.
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Earlier than turning professional in 2022, Walton scored greater than 200 college-level match wins in singles and doubles in his 5 years at Knoxville, whereas he and fellow Aussie Pat Harper gained the NCAA doubles nationwide championship.
“I wasn’t even positive if I’d play professional tennis after school,” Walton advised Australian Tennis Journal. “I actually wasn’t positive till my final yr in school, after I had my greatest outcomes and completed the collegiate system ranked No.2 behind Ben Shelton (the highest seed in Atlanta).
“My coach there mentioned I ought to a minimum of give it a crack and I had some fairly respectable success straight off the bat, in order that type of helped me to decide to enjoying professional.”
Now a winner of eight singles and 4 doubles ATP Challenger and ITF titles, Walton nonetheless trains in Knoxville when not on tour or again dwelling. He’s already as much as a career-best world No.88 within the stay rankings, and extra competitors Stateside beckons with a US Open foremost draw simply across the nook.
First, he has a shot at revenge in opposition to Frenchman Arthur Rinderknech, his Roland Garros conqueror from this yr, with a maiden ATP quarterfinal on the road in Atlanta.
Fellow Aussie Vukic was not so lucky in his first spherical after he retired injured in opposition to Bellucci because the Italian led 1-6 6-4 3-1.
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