USA talent Jenson Brooksby secured the best win of his career, defeating second seed Casper Ruud in the Australian Open second round.
The potential star squandered three match points in the third set before wrapping up the match 6-3 7-5 6-7(4) 6-2 against the Norwegian world No.3.
Brooksby has now advanced to the third round where he will face Tommy Paul in an all-American contest.
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Who is Jenson Brooksby?
Brooksby, 22, is a talented American defensive baseliner who is currently ranked 39 in the world.
Ranked outside the top 100 in mid-2021, Brooksby has been on the rise in recent times, with a career-high ranking of 33 achieved in June last year.
His best result in a Grand Slam was a fourth-round result at US Open 2021 – where he lost to Novak Djokovic after taking the first set 6-1.
This journey Down Under is Brooksby’s first crack at the Australian Open after suffering from COVID-19 prior to the tournament last year.
Brooksby, who is named after former F1 driver Jenson Button, has an unorthodox style where he regularly changes pace and length with his shots.
How did Jenson Brooksby defeat second seed Casper Ruud?
Brooksby was the better player throughout the match against the French Open 2022 finalist, taking the first two sets 6-3 7-5 in a brilliant display of hitting from the backcourt.
The American had three match points at 5-3 in the third set, but was tentative and failed to take advantage, as Ruud rallied to clinch the third set 7-6.
It felt as if seasoned tour player Ruud would come over the top of his inexperienced opponent, but Brooksby steadied in the fourth set to comfortably claim it and the match 6-2.
Ruud’s ranking of three means it was Brooksby’s greatest win in terms of opponent ranking, eclipsing when he beat then world No.5 Stefanos Tsitsipas at BNP Paribas in 2022.
Jenson Brooksby’s career achievements
Brooksby is yet to win an ATP title in his career so far but has been runner-up in three finals.
He lost to Kevin Anderson at the Hall of Fame in 2021, while he was defeated by Reilly Opelka (Dallas) and Alex de Minaur (Atlanta) last year.
Brooksby has won seven Challenger and Futures titles between 2019 and 2021.
