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World No. 238 Max Purcell claimed one of the biggest wins of his career on Monday at the Great Ocean Road Open in Melbourne. Home favorite Purcell surprised world No. 88 Norbert Gombos as he beat the Slovakian 6-4 6-4 to kick off his 2021 season on a positive way.
“I’d thought about it but it’s just another match. I’m not really too bothered by it,” Purcell said after the match, as quoted on Tennis Australia. “I mean singles matches these days are so few and far between with the limited tournaments and how hard travel is so I’m not taking it like that”.
Australian Purcell earned the first break of the match in the third game and then held on to his serve the rest of the set to win the opener. In the second set -- Purcell broke Gombos in the fifth game -- failed to convert a match point in the ninth game but served out for the match in the 10th game.
Purcell plays next Karen Khachanov
Wildcard Purcell is now set for the biggest math of his career as he plays next against No. 2 seed Khachanov. “I’ve got nothing to lose,” said Purcell of his match against Khachanov.
“It’s all on him”. Meanwhile, Purcell fellow compatriot Aleksandar Vukic also claimed a victory as he beat Yen-Hsun Lu 6-4 7-5. "It honestly just feels good to be competing,” Vukic acknowledged after the win.
. "“Leading it up to it, it didn’t feel like everything was starting. So honestly it was kind of good, everything just felt like a normal match and when I won, I was just happy to win a match. “I didn’t really think about the occasion.
It’s nice to win. It’s been a few months since we’ve all played, so it was just good to get back to those ways”.