Native wildcard Rinky Hijikata has repaid the religion proven in him by Australian Open organisers with a outstanding come-from-behind win at Melbourne Park.
Key factors:
- Hijikata defeated Yannick Hanfmann 4-6, 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 (7/5), 6-3
- His win adopted the triumphs of countrymen Jason Kubler and John Millman
- Olivia Gadecki was the one Australian to win within the girls’s draw on day one
Making his debut within the Australian Open males’s draw, 21-year-old Hijikata fought again from two units down in opposition to German qualifier Yannick Hanfmann to triumph 4-6, 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 (7/5), 6-3.
It took Hijikata 4 hours and 25 minutes to put on down 128th-ranked Hanfmann, however his efforts in profitable his first singles match at a significant have been recognised by the vocal court-eight crowd, who gave the younger Australian a standing ovation.
Hijikata will subsequent face world quantity 4 Stefanos Tsitsipas, a three-time semifinalist in Melbourne.
“I could not have achieved it with out the assist at this time. I am so grateful for everybody popping out,” Hijikata stated in his on-court interview.
“That’s the most enjoyable match I’ve ever performed in my life.”
Hijikata made a reputation for himself ultimately yr’s US Open when he took a set of Rafael Nadal within the first spherical.
He relished the group assist on Monday evening, constantly revving them up as he manufactured a comeback.
Hijikata, ranked 169 on this planet, spurned his first two match factors on serve however sealed his third, earlier than falling to the bottom after which punching the air as he celebrated.
He joined two different Australians, Jason Kubler and John Millman, in progressing to the second spherical of the boys’s draw.
Kubler beat Argentine Sebastian Baez 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 to proceed his unbelievable resurgence, whereas Millman outlasted Swiss Marc-Andrea Huesler 6-7 (8/10), 7-5, 6-7 (2/7), 6-2, 6-3 on the identical day countryman Nick Kyrgios was pressured out of the event with a knee harm.
Identical to Hijikata, Millman cashed in on his Melbourne Park wildcard, delivering a typical five-set marathon victory in 4 hours and 6 minutes.
It’s the sixth time Millman has reached the second spherical at his house main.
Within the girls’s draw, Olivia Gadecki made the second spherical however fellow Australians Talia Gibson and Storm Hunter each made early exits.
Gibson bowed out with a 6-3, 6-4 loss to French qualifier Clara Burel and Hunter misplaced 7-6 (7/2), 6-4 to China’s Xinyu Wang.
AAP/ABC
