Richard Evans examines how Tennys Sandgren can respond from his social media controversy

LESS than an hour after the biggest win of his career, American Tennys Sandgren was embroiled in a social media storm. How will he handle the heat as he prepares for his quarterfinal?

Tennys Sandgren was involved in a social media storm. Picture: AAP Images

LESS than an hour after the biggest win of his life that almost doubled his entire career winnings, American Tennys Sandgren had every reason to feel utterly deflated.

The five set evening epic against fifth seed Dominic Thiem on Hisense Arena, where the world’s 97th ranked player had been near flawless in his grit and fighting spirit was, it turned out, merely a precursor to the day’s edgier drama.

He will need that spirit today after a post-match media conference that turned perceptions of an easy going 26-year-old from Tennessee on their head.

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The initial questions were upbeat and benign, who was the last guy to make a grand slam quarterfinal with less of a pedigree the gist.

Then suddenly, a left field query, why does Sandgren follow several, and far right, figures on Twitter, including Tommy Robinson, the former English Defence League leader and a generally unpleasant chap.

Tennys Sandgren celebrates after his massive fourth round win. Picture: Getty Images

“Who you follow on Twitter I feel doesn’t matter even a little bit. To say he’s following X person, so he believes all the things that this person believes, I think it’s ridiculous,” Sandgren countered.

“That’s not how information works. And I don’t think any kind of engagement in that way dictates that you then are right in there with that particular person. You can ask me about my beliefs on things, that’s cool. But I think to lump in and say, you follow this person, so then wow, who are you?

“As a firm Christian, I don’t support things like that, no. I support Christ and following him.”

There was time, briefly, for his thoughts on Wednesday’s most unlikely, pairing with South Korea’s Hyeon Chung.

“A big deal was playing Chung in Auckland (a narrow loss, two weeks ago). That helped me a lot going into this week, seeing I could play a good level.”

Take away the social media controversy — and all tweets from the past 19 months have overnight been deleted — and his story is remarkable.

Tennys Sandgren thanks members of the crowd for their support. Picture: AAP Images

His career winnings before this week sit at US$488,735. Even if he loses he will add a further $440,000 to that pot. It gives some context after a run of late year success in Challenger tournaments in America elevated his ranking to allow him to, just, squeeze into the Open main draw.

This is his Australian Open debut but not his first time in Melbourne, he has tried, and failed, to qualify for the Open for the past four years. The man from Tennessee — he is named Tennys after a great grandfather and comes from a family of tennis nuts — is a trier.

“My parents and my older brother played. You kind of want to do what your family does,” he said.

There is a grounded aspect to a man who speaks confidently in public and is now just a few hours from a slot in the semi-finals.

His favourite tournament, he lists in the men’s official tour annual, is not the more usual player haunts of Melbourne, Paris or Wimbledon. It is instead, the Tiburon Challenger tournament, a minor Californian outpost with total prize offerings around one quarter of what he is guaranteed to take home this week.

It’s what he’s used to. But no more.