SA tennis player Alex Bolt sets sights high after earning Australian Open wildcard
ALEX Bolt says the relief of securing an Australian Open wildcard has helped him find career-best form, a year after returning to the court from an indefinite break.
ALEX Bolt says the relief of securing an Australian Open wildcard has helped him find career-best form, a year after returning to the court from an indefinite break.
South Australia’s top-ranked male crashed out of the City of Playford Tennis International following a quarter-final loss to Queenslander Jason Kubler on Friday.
World No.2 Vera Zvonareva also made a shock exit from the City of Playford Tennis International after retiring from her quarter-final due to illness.
But Bolt said being awarded a spot in the main draw at Melbourne Park, despite falling in the final of last week’s wildcard playoffs, had given him the belief to maximise his potential.
“It’s good to be sitting on this side of the fence for sure,” Bolt, who turned 25 on Friday, said.
“I don’t think it will quite sink in until the (Australian Open) draw comes out and I see who I have to play.
“It was great to be able to play a few matches in the wildcard playoff and I really got my eye in to start playing some really good tennis come the Aussie Open.
“I’ve been given an unbelievable opportunity by Tennis Australia and I’m going to go out there and make sure I give it my all.”
Bolt fell 6-3, 6-3, to close friend Kubler in the last-eight clash played in oppressive heat at the ATP Challenger tournament at Elizabeth East.
It came a year on from his comeback event following a self-enforced nine-month hiatus from the sport.
Burnt out and disillusioned, Bolt returned home to Murray Bridge to ponder his future on the court.
He played 15 games as a forward for Mypolonga in the River Murray Football League and forgot about tennis.
“It was all getting a bit much for me and I decided to take some time away from the sport,” the world No.189 said.
“All the travelling and being away from home and my family was just all a little bit too much for me.
“I thought I had to go back home and find myself again. I didn’t touch a racquet – it was a very good decision.
“I feel like I understand tennis and my game a lot more than I did before I took the time off.
“Now I’m playing some of the best tennis of my career.”
The left-hander fought his way through qualifying before bowing out in the first round of last year’s Australian Open in four sets to Japan’s Yoshihito Nishioka.
Bolt shot to prominence when he teamed up with fellow SA player Brad Mousely to make the doubles quarter-finals at the Grand Slam event.
He said winning three matches before going down to Alex De Minaur in the Australian Open wildcard playoffs demonstrated he had the game to thrive in elite company.
Bolt described flying under the radar at the $75,000 Playford tournament as ideal preparation for his bid to eclipse the career-high ranking of 160 he achieved in 2015.
“I don’t mind being outside of the spotlight and doing my own thing,” said Bolt, who planned to play qualifiers at next week’s Sydney International.
“The more matches you can get before big tournaments is only a good thing.
“Hopefully I can get a few matches in Sydney and be ready come the Aussie Open.
“I’ve put in a pretty good off-season and I’ve started the season off very well. Hopefully that gives me momentum going forward into the season.”
Meanwhile, former world No.2 Vera Zvonareva has made a shock exit from the City of Playford Tennis International after retiring from her quarter-final due to illness.
The two-time Grand Slam finalist Vera Zvonareva lost the first set to Czech sixth-seed Marie Bouzkova 6-3 at the ITF Futures event on Friday.
She withdrew from the clash with a stomach complaint leading 2-1 in the second set.
World No.169 Bouzkova will take on Zoe Hives in today’s semi-final after the Victorian downed Canadian Bianca Andreescu in straight sets.
Australian qualifier Alexandra Bozovic will face Jessika Ponchet of France in the other last-four match following her 7-6, 4-6, 6-4 win over Valentini Grammatikopoulou.
Queensland’s Jason Kubler takes on Reilly Opelka (USA) and Brayden Schnur (Canada) meets Evan King (USA) in the men’s semi-finals.