It might have taken him seven match points but Australia’s third-highest ranked men’s player, Max Purcell, has booked his spot in the second round of the Australian Open for the first time.
The world No 45 overwhelmed Hungarian qualifier Máté Valkusz at Kia Arena on Tuesday, 3-6, 7-6 (7-2), 6-4, 7-5.
But in front of adoring home support Purcell did it the hard way, after letting his opponent back in the match after leading 5-2 in the final frame.
“I definitely needed your guys’ support deep in the fourth,” the 25-year-old told the crowd after the match. “I was gagging it so hard, so you guys really helped me get over the line in the last game.”
In one game alone, he failed to convert six match points before he was broken by the Hungarian. But after another break Purcell eventually finished the match with an ace and a shake of the head.
Before the late drama, Purcell had turned to his distinctive serve and volley style in the critical second set tie-breaker to wrench control of the match. It followed an uneven first set punctuated by the Australian’s overhit ground strokes as he struggled to find a rhythm.
At that stage, things were looking ominous for the Australian, after a difficult lead-in which saw him eliminated early in Brisbane and go down to the Japanese journeyman Taro Daniel in Auckland. His frustration was evident, with curses to himself after each of his 10 unforced errors in the set.
Purcell’s discussions with his coach, Nathan Healey, at that stage would not be considered polite. But Valkusz, whose solid serve and strong baseline game took him through qualifying, wasn’t able to maintain his quality.
“The guy was just pummelling me,” Purcell said. “I didn’t really stand much of a chance there, snuck my way back in the second set, just tried to hold on to my serve, then I hoped he’d crack and he cracked and yeah, I got through it.”
The second set tie-breaker saw Purcell more animated.
He has been vocal about the homogeneity of players on the ATP tour, and at the match’s decisive phase, Purcell was good to his word, rushing the net and forcing errors from his opponent.
“I think it started working better for me when he stopped guessing on my first serve,” Purcell said. “I felt I was getting no free points, and he was on everything.
“As soon as he started letting up there on the return I could get through a few quick service games, put some pressure on his serve and work from there.”
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In the latter two sets, as the Hungarian tired, the Australian seemed to find strength.
The crowd inside the 5,000-capacity Kia Arena built steadily with Purcell’s momentum. The Sydneysider relished the attention, at one stage amping up the crowd before a crucial – and successful – break point in the third set.
But he tested the crowd’s nerves late in the match. The Hungarian broke back twice, and serving at 5-4 Purcell couldn’t convert on his first six match points in one game that lasted 12 minutes.
The Australian will meet 11th seed Casper Ruud in the second round, after the Norwegian beat Spain’s Albert Ramos-Vinolas 6-1, 6-3, 6-1.
Purcell beat Ruud in the second round of last year’s Cincinnati Masters in perhaps his best result of the season.
“I played Casper in Cincinnati in relatively lively conditions, the balls were a little lighter there and more bouncy,” Purcell said. “But it’s hot here, I’ll have the crowd on my side, I’m more than happy to give them another crack.”
Earlier, the Australian wildcard Olivia Gadecki was comprehensively beaten by the American Sloane Stephens, 6-3, 6-1.