Kiwi Rising: Tearney Making Most Of Challenger Opportunities

If you are an athlete in New Zealand, there’s a good chance that rugby is your sport of choice. Internationally heralded, the All Blacks garner most of the sporting attention in the South Pacific island nation.

But if Finn Tearney has his way, tennis will soon be in the spotlight.

At No. 388 in the Emirates ATP Rankings, New Zealand’s No. 1 singles player sent shockwaves around the ATP Challenger Tour on Tuesday, following an upset of top seed and #NextGen star Quentin Halys in Gatineau, Canada. A qualifier at the $75,000 event, Tearney maintained his composure in rallying from a set down to stun the 19-year-old Frenchman after a grueling one-hour and 37-minute battle. The Kiwi reeled off the final eight games of the match to claim his first main draw victory on the ATP Challenger Tour this year.

“I’ve been struggling a bit in Challengers and lost in the last round of qualies two or three times recently,” Tearney told ATPWorldTour.com in Gatineau. “It’s nice to be able to get through this week. I knew he’s been struggling the last couple of tournaments as well and if I hung in there, I could get on top. In the third set I ran away with it. I just relaxed a bit. I was missing some shots I usually make. I knew that if I could just execute a few more, my confidence would grow from there.”

“I lost to Darian King in Binghamton, who went on to win the tournament,” he added. “It’s not like I’ve been getting thumped every week, but it’s just about taking little steps and to keep believing that you can beat these guys. It’s really nice to get a win like this, because obviously he’s a good player.”

Steadily moving up the Emirates ATP Rankings, Tearney is finding his form after shoulder surgery sidelined him in 2014, following his graduation from Pepperdine University in California. Up to a projected career-high No. 360 with Tuesday’s victory, Tearney says he defines success as playing to the best of his abilities. It’s a simple, yet necessary philosophy.

“If I play good tennis, my ranking will take care of itself. I’m trying to play the way I want to play. If I play my tennis and beat good players, my ranking will improve. As simple as that,” said Tearney. “It’s about being consistent. This is my first Challenger main draw win this year.”

“After I beat Somdev Devvarman [in Burnie] last year, I thought that if I’m playing someone ranked in the 900s, I should win. But that’s just not how it works,” he reflected. “Everyone here is good.”

With tennis in New Zealand steadily growing in popularity, as evidenced by Michael Venus’ climb to No. 40 in the Emirates ATP Doubles Rankings, Tearney is now motivated more than ever. Venus, who has notched four ATP World Tour doubles titles this year, is a major source of inspiration for his countryman.

“Michael is a good friend of mine. We practise all the time at home. He’s been someone I look up to for overall professionalism and the way he trains. I’ve learned so much from him,” said Tearney. “He’s Top 50 in doubles now and playing great. I’ve had some tough losses recently and he’s sent me some nice messages. He’s pretty inspiring. It’s great to see how his career has really flourished.”

The 25-year-old Auckland native was seven when he first picked up a racquet and started taking lessons two years later. Tearney admits that while his professional aspirations didn’t fully develop until he went to college. Despite the large disparity in the level of competition, he is steadily adapting to life on the ATP Challenger Tour.

“Going to college was the best decision. I developed physically and mentally. But it’s completely different. The overall quality is a big step up here and the same from Futures to Challengers. It’s just a matter of getting used to it,” said Tearney. “Players are much more aggressive and if you drop it short in the court, they’ll take you on. I need to stop thinking about the result and trust in the process. I’m trying to be more aggressive and not worry about the outcome as much.”