At the Adelaide International, lucky loser Rinky Hijikata stunned higher-ranked David Goffin while Lu Tu also advanced to the second round.
Adelaide, Australia, January 7, 2025 | Sean Ahern
Rinky Hijikata made the most of a late call-up as a lucky loser at the Adelaide International to put up one of the best performances of his career, defeating Belgian David Goffin 6-1, 6-2. I played one of them.
The 23-year-old played a flawless first set, playing varied and aggressive tennis to put Goffin behind from the start.
Hijikata continued his overwhelming lead in the second set thanks to his brilliant comeback play. While Goffin created opportunities of his own, Hijikata held his nerve and saved four of five break points on serve.
While Goffin was a bit off, especially with his normally reliable backhand, Hijikata smothered the Belgian with some dazzling all-court tennis.
“It wasn’t easy. David has been around for a long time and he is a classy player,” said the Sydneysider.
“He actually cheated on me at the end of last year, so I knew it was going to be very difficult, but I’m glad he’s getting another chance.”
Hijikata lost to his compatriot in the final preliminary round, but qualified for the finals due to injury withdrawal.
“If you come across a lucky loser, you have very little to lose. “It felt like we were playing with house money here.” Hijikata said he hopes to carry that confidence into the best season of his career.
“I feel like I have so much more in me,” he said. “Last year was a good year, but I don’t think we’ve even scratched the surface yet. We’re excited to start the year in Aus and hope for a big year ahead.”
Lu claims the battle is all over Australia.
Earlier on The Drive, the 28-year-old won 6-1, 7-5 against teammate James Duckworth in a battle that took place across Australia.
Adelaide-born Tu, ranked 179th in the world and a wildcard player in his home tournament, put in a courageous performance in a sometimes difficult match on Tuesday.
Tu dominated the first set thanks to brilliant serve returns and an effort to save five break points on his own serve.
The second set was much more closely contested, with Tu securing the only break in the 12th set to edge Duckworth.Day game. He finished the game in 1 hour and 13 minutes.
Tu’s serve ultimately made the difference. In particular, the Adelaide local was almost flawless, dropping just five points in total in the second set.
“I’m really glad I was able to do it in the end. Duckworth is a really good competitor. I knew he would bring a high level in the second set,” Tu said.
The win will give Tu the confidence and poise to head into this year’s Australian Open as a wildcard winner.
This will be her second consecutive appearance in the Grand Slam main draw. US Open qualifier. Last year, he lost to Spanish No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz in four sets.
He last played in the main draw of the 2021 Australian Open.
Tu next faces French qualifier Benjamin Bonzi, whom he lost in the opening round.
Meanwhile, Alexander Vukic fell just behind after a valiant fightback against American Marcos Giron.
Despite a slow start that saw him drop the first set, Vukic settled in, found his range and caught the American off guard with an aggressive strike from the baseline.
Even under pressure, he showed off his excellent serve and took the lead from the second set.
In a topsy-turvy third set, Giron lifted at just the right moment to break the Aussie in the eighth game, clinically winning 6-2, 3-6, 6-3.
Australia’s Adam Walton also lost in the first round, before Frenchman Arthur Cazaux won 6-1, 7-5. Tristan Schoollkate was eliminated in straight sets by Tomas Martin Etcheverry.
Find out how to play: visit play.tennis.com.au Get out on the court and have fun!
