Success breeding success
Rod Laver arrives on Friday for his annual visit to the All England Club, and the proud Australian winner of the first gentlemen’s singles championship in the Open era is likely to be encouraged by what he sees.
Following a first round wipe-out in the men’s draw at Roland-Garros last month, and after Arina Rodionova provided Australia’s sole singles match win at Wimbledon last year, what has traditionally been a happy Grand Slam for Laver’s compatriots is proving to be so again.
“With Australians doing so well over the years here, I think it gets everyone excited,’’ said 2003 finalist Mark Philippoussis. “I think the players are all pushing each other along, and there’s good energy. You see one person doing well and the other person gets motivated and wants to do well. It’s great.’’
What started with the Qualifying successes of Alex Bolt, Jason Kubler and John-Patrick Smith, followed by the eventual progression into the main draw of lucky loser Bernard Tomic, continued with the best collective first round effort - eight winners - in three years.
By Thursday night, the five who had made it to the third round had equalled that 2015 effort, when Nick Kyrgios reached the last 16.
“I think success breeds success. We all try and push each other to be better,’’ says Ash Barty (above), the 2011 girls’ champion and No.17 seed, rated by Kim Clijsters as one of the favourites for the ladies’ championship won multiple times previously by Evonne Goolagong Cawley and Margaret Court.
While Barty and No.15 Kyrgios are the senior seeds this time, the Aussie quintet features a mix of the old(ish), the young and the shiny brand new, ranging in age from 30-year-old Matt Ebden to 19-year-old debutant Alex de Minaur. At her fourth attempt, world No.25 Daria Gavrilova, too, is breaking new Wimbledon ground.
“It’s really good to see that happening this year. It was a bit sad last year,’’ said Gavrilova, who defeated countrywoman Sam Stosur in straight sets. “It’s nice to have friends that are winning, too.’’
De Minaur is the new kid, the second-youngest in the ATP’s top 100 behind Denis Shapovalov, and a player Kyrgios predicts will have a “big career’’. The wild card recipient is, in some respects, the 2018 version of his mentor and Davis Cup captain, Lleyton Hewitt, and has been tipped by Kyrgios to do some “damage” against world No.1 Rafael Nadal in the third round.
“I don't think Rafa is going to be liking the ball that's going to come at him constantly for three hours,’’ Kyrgios said of the flat-hitting, fast-moving, strong-returning boys’ singles finalist from 2016. “It's going to be a tough ask for (De Minaur), but I think he could definitely cause a little bit of discomfort.’’
Barty is seemingly born to play on the grass she adores, and also conscious of Australia’s proud history at the All England Club, describing the “amazing” feeling of being back where she first made her name as a 14-year-old prodigy. “I feel really comfortable here, I love it here, I think it’s the best place on earth to play tennis,’’ she said.
The 22-year-old will get no arguments on that from Laver, her fellow Queenslander, and a dual singles champion who is fond of referring to the entry to the All England Club as “the pearly gates”.
Stosur has departed through them yet again in a singles sense, but is pleased that a handful of her compatriots are left to fly the flag. “I think we’re in a good spot, but we typically do do better at Wimbledon,’’ said the 2011 US Open champion, who remains Australia’s most recent major winner.
“So I don’t think we can walk away from Wimbledon and think everything’s exactly how we want it to be, but we’ll take it all the same. Definitely.’’
