Thompson sole Aussie victor in NY
No.63 wins opening round at US Open
JORDAN Thompson weighed up the benefits of travelling to New York for the US Open before opting to trust the COVID-19 safeguards the tournament enacted.
The uncertainty of the situation prompted his coach Jaymon Crabb to remain at home.
But despite a scare on tournament eve when Benoit Paire tested positive to coronavirus, the gamble has worked for Thompson, who posted an opening-round win yesterday.
Thompson was the sole Australian victor on an opening day in which the nation’s entire female contingent was wiped out.
Thompson will be hoping compatriots Alex de Minaur, John Millman, Chris O’Connell and James Duckworth join him in the last 64 when they play their opening matches on the second day.
Pitted against Italian Stefano Travaglia, the 26-yearold won 6-3 6-4 4-6 6-2 in 2hr 41min to reach the second round in New York for the third time.
The Davis Cup representative was far tighter from the baseline than his rival, making only 27 unforced errors over four sets to Travaglia’s 55.
The draw has opened for Thompson, who played two matches in qualifying last week for the Cincinnati Masters, after his next rival Egor Gerasimov beat 18th seed Dusan Lajovic.
Crabb has been communicating daily with the world No.63 and said the chance for Thompson to resume playing in the US was too important to ignore.
“We discussed it and he thought it was a great opportunity to go for a grand slam and have the trust in the tennis community to keep it as safe as possible,” he said.
“I decided not to go, mainly because of the uncertainty of what happens if you are a coach and you catch the virus, staying in a hotel in America and how you would get back to Australia, and also the 14 days quarantine in a hotel makes the trip a bit longer.
“The Aussie guys get on well. They are using each other for energy and practice and support over there. I think there are a lot of cards being played and backgammon.
“Pretty much every day (we talk) about how his training has been going, who he is working with, what is going well, what hasn’t been going well.”