Jordan Thompson will contest the Brisbane quarterfinals for a second yr, whereas Maya Joint pushed former No.1 Victoria Azarenka to a few hard-fought units.
Brisbane, Australia, 1 January 2025 | Dan Imhoff
Jordan Thompson overcame a difficult begin to thwart 20-year-old Alex Michelsen, who required a medical timeout in simply the second sport for – of all issues – a nostril bleed at Pat Rafter Enviornment on Wednesday.
It sees the eighth-seeded Australian advance to the quarterfinals in Brisbane for a second straight yr.
Thompson, who beat Rafael Nadal within the Brisbane quarterfinals final yr, shortly discovered himself trailing 5-2 and stared down triple set level on serve earlier than he dug himself out of hassle towards the American and pinched the set.
🤯 what a turnaround!
Trailing 2-5 and required to avoid wasting three set factors to remain alive within the first, @jordanthommmo2 rattled off 5 video games in succession to take the body, then closed issues out to set-up a #BrisbaneTennis rematch with Grigor Dimitrov! pic.twitter.com/iAx0s2EVXL
— Brisbane Worldwide (@BrisbaneTennis) January 1, 2025
From there, he took the reins and broke twice within the second set, together with a tense closing sport.
“I assume I don’t know what the phrases ‘quit’ imply. 5-2 0-40 I snuck out the set and truly received slightly bit anxious there once I had a number of match factors, and he began coming again,” Thompson stated. “Fortunately I received it executed in that sport.
“It began on [Pat Rafter Arena] final yr. I beat Rafa in a three-hour marathon and it actually kickstarted my yr and gave me a number of confidence and perception. Form of simply went from energy to energy in singles and doubles.”
It units a rematch with Grigor Dimitrov, who eradicated Thompson of their semifinal showdown in 2024.
He’s the one who took me down right here final yr within the semis. So defending champ, he’s in nice type, again within the prime 10.
“It’s going to be one other take a look at.”
Impressed Joint pushes Azarenka to the brink
Earlier, Australian wildcard Maya Joint prolonged two-time Brisbane champion Victoria Azarenka to the total three-set distance within the opening evening match on the Queensland Tennis Centre.
The 18-year-old native secured the primary set over the world No.20 in an exciting tiebreak earlier than the 35-year-old Azarenka emerged with a 6-7(5) 6-2 6-4 win.
“If [Maya] performs like she performs tonight I feel she has a fairly good future,” stated Azarenka after reserving her place into the match’s third spherical.
“I have to have a number of phrases with my coach as a result of I’m unsure he gave me the most effective tactic originally or possibly she simply performed very in another way than what we watched [from] the primary match.
“She’s an important participant, an important expertise, clearly very younger.”
Maya Joint claims the primary set tiebreak!
She now leads Victoria Azarenka 7-6.#BrisbaneTennis pic.twitter.com/1bWEwwFQ0l
— Brisbane Worldwide (@BrisbaneTennis) January 1, 2025
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