American wild card Jenson Brooksby, ranked 130, stuns Felix Auger-Aliassime at Citi Open
American wild card Jenson Brooksby stunned No 2 seed Felix Auger-Aliassime, 6-3, 6-4, to book his first top-20 win and earn a quarter-final berth at the Citi Open.
Aug 2, 2021; Washington, DC, USA; Jenson Brooksby of the United States hits a forehand against Kevin Anderson of South Africa (not pictured) during the Citi Open at Rock Creek Park Tennis Center.
20-year-old American Jenson Brooksby is quickly becoming a force to be reckoned with on the ATP Tour. The Sacramento, California native had already produced a lot of eye-opening tennis on the challenger circuit in 2021, where he reached four finals and won three titles, but over the last month he has proven that his game translates well to the ATP Tour.
In July he reached the final of the Hall of Fame Open at Newport, falling to Kevin Anderson 7-6(8), 6-4. Anderson may have claimed the title, but that didn’t stop him from being impressed by the young American.
“[Jenson is] a very gutsy player, good hands,” the South African star said. “I hadn’t seen him playing up until this week, I just know he’s won a lot of matches and won several challengers, the level at challengers is very high so to to have that success, he knows how to win matches, I’ve seen him working really hard this whole week – I think he has a very bright future ahead of him.”
Revenge vs. Anderson at D.C. and a stunning victory over Auger-Aliassime
Brooksby quickly exacted revenge on Anderson after receiving a wild card to the Citi Open. The World No 130 scored a 7-6(4), 6-3 victory over the two-time Grand Slam champion, then knocked off Frances Tiafoe, 7-6(4), 7-5 to set up today’s clash with No 2 seed Auger-Aliassime.
Brooksby had never defeated a top-50 player – let alone a top-20 player like the Canadian – but on Thursday he dominated from start to finish, rifling 23 winners past the stunned 20-year-old, and committing just five unforced errors to earn a 6-3, 6-4 victory.
Brooksby will face Australia’s John Millman in the quarter-finals on Friday, and if he wins he is projected to make his top-100 debut next Monday. Looking at his year-end ranking in 2020 – 307! – one gains a feel for the rocket-like rise that Brooksby has managed.
He’s not just dipping his toes to test the waters at the ATP level, Brooksby has jumped in head first and he’s having success. That bodes well for his long-term future.
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