Aussie O'Connell keeps up ace clay-court form in Madrid

April 28, 2023 02:05 AM AEST | By AAPNEWS

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Aussie O'Connell keeps up ace clay-court form in Madrid — Image source: ©2023 Kalkine Media®

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Ever-improving Sydneysider Chris O'Connell has continued his impressive winning ways in Madrid, fresh from enjoying the best tournament of his career in Germany.

O'Connell, who defeated Alexander Zverev before reaching only his second ATP semi-final in Munich last week, was left celebrating a hard-earned 6-4 6-7 (2-7) 6-2 win over Serbian Filip Krajinovic in the first round of the Madrid Open on Thursday.

On a much faster clay-court than he had played on in Germany, and with the balls flying faster at altitude in the Spanish capital, O'Connell adapted confidently to the change and will be kicking himself he did not wrap up his win in the Masters 1000 event an hour earlier.

Quite dominant for most of the first two sets, the 28-year-old Aussie had held two match points at 5-3 in the second, only for Krajinovic to summon up real courage and inspiration to rescue the game, then take the initiative to dominate the tiebreak.

The world No.81 O'Connell, ranked two places behind his opponent, seemed a bit shell-shocked and was immediately broken at the start of the deciding set.

But he's shown his resilience all season, and roared back, getting his big forehand and serve working more effectively again - he delivered 15 aces in all - as he reeled off the next four games.

Krajinovic threatened more resistance as he rescued two more match points but, eventually, a weary-looking backhand into the net after two hours 19 minutes ensured O'Connell landed a tough second-round date with eighth seed Taylor Fritz.

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