Australian Open: Brooksby stuns Casper Ruud; Wolf upsets Diego Schwartzman
Unseeded American, Jenson Brooksby, defeated second seed Casper Ruud in the second round at the Australian Open on Thursday. Brooksby claimed a 6-3, 7-5, 6-7(4), 6-2 win after three hours and 55 minutes on Rod Laver Arena. While Ruud saved three match points and came back from 2-5, he couldn't prevail. Elsewhere, JJ Wolf upset 23rd seed Diego Schwartzman to reach the third round.
Brooksby vs Ruud: Key stats
Brooksby was all over Ruud, having won a total of 149 points and 50 winners. Ruud fired as many as five aces in the match, with his opponent settling with two. The American recorded a win percentage of 63 and 58 on his first and second serve, respectively. Meanwhile, Ruud smashed the match's fastest serve (203 KPH).
Ruud misses a golden opportunity!
As per ATP, Ruud had an opportunity to claim the top spot in the ATP Rankings. However, his early exit has ruled out this possibility. Now, either Novak Djokovic or Stefanos Tsitsipas will climb to the top by winning the Australian Open title. Any other result would see the injured Carlos Alcaraz retain his top spot in the rankings.
Brooksby to face Tommy Paul
Brooksby will next face countryman Tommy Paul, who sealed his third-round spot after beating 30th seed Alejandro Davidovich Fokina on Thursday. Paul claimed a 6-2, 2-6, 7-6, 6-7(4), 6-3, 6-4 win in the second round. Notably, Paul won the only encounter between him and Brooksby on the ATP tour. The former won 6-3, 6-2 at the Cincinnati Masters last year.
Wolf stun Diego Schwartzman
In what can be termed another upset, JJ Wolf stunned Diego Schwartzman 6-1, 6-4, 6-4 in the second-round clash. The unseeded American has reached the third round of a Grand Slam for the first time in his career. He has qualified for this stage at the US Open twice (in 2020 and 2022). Wolf will face fellow American Michael Mmoh in the third round.
Top two seeds out of Australian Open
The top two seeds have already crashed out of the 2023 Australian Open so far. Top seed Rafael Nadal suffered a second-round defeat by Mackenzie McDonald. The 36-year-old was trailing by a set when he pulled up with a supposedly hip problem. Nadal took a medical timeout at the end of the second set but ultimately lost 6-4, 6-4, 7-5.
American men have dominated so far
As per Opta, as many as seven American men, including Brooksby and Wolf, have reached the round of 32 at the 2023 Australian Open, the most to feature in this stage at the year's first Grand Slam since the start of this century.
