The Australian Open wild card “sets no limit” after week two
Arthur Cazaux reached the second week of the Australian Open at his first attempt, beating Tallon Griekspoor in straight sets to do so.
Cazaux had won just one main tour match before this week, but has now won three consecutive Grand Slam events in Melbourne.
The French wild card beat Griekspoor, 6-3 6-3 6-1, to back up his earlier win over eighth seed Holger Rune.
As a result, Cazaux became the first wildcard since Lleyton Hewitt (2012) to reach the fourth round of the Australian Open.
While the 21-year-old seems to be enjoying his achievement, he still doesn’t seem fully satisfied, “No, it sounds great. Sounds great, of course. But yeah, you know, I’m focused on the next one. I hope the tournament continues for me. I’m not setting any limits and I’ll see what happens.”
He continued, “Yeah, I know I could play at that level, but I never prove it, you know, in a real match. So, yeah, I was confident about myself, but, you know, proving that in the first round gave me more confidence, and yeah, now I know I can beat that kind of player in a real match. And now, you know, I’ll say it again, but I was ready for everybody and even more ready now in my mind and in my game.”
Living his wildest dreams 🇫🇷@ArthurCazaux #AusOpen pic.twitter.com/9O4ldzHpx2
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) January 20, 2024
Cazaux will now play ninth seed Hubert Hurkacz on Monday, with both players looking to reach the quarter-finals of the Australian Open for the first time.
And the world No.108 revealed he feels no pressure ahead of the biggest match of his career, “Not really, not really. No, because I work very hard in my head, in my mind, and as I said before, I am ready to fight with everyone. I am ready to fight in every fight.
“You know, I’m here to give it my all on the field. I can play sometimes I play badly. sometimes i play well You know, it’s okay. You know, the only important thing is to give it your all on the field. These are my rules. Now I don’t feel pressure.”
Inside the baseline…
It was a very impressive and amazing week from Arthur Cazaux, who had not even played an Australian Open qualifier before. Because of his success down the stretch, the Frenchman has been confirmed to break into the top 100 for the first time in his career and could reach the top 60 if he beats Hubert Hurkacz on Monday.
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