Like Rocky Vs. Drago, Brooksby Knocks Out Karatsev
Jenson Brooksby bends, but almost never breaks. The #NextGenATP American showed that on Saturday when he rallied past 2021 breakthrough star Aslan Karatsev of Russia 6-2, 3-6, 2-6, 6-3, 6-3 to reach the fourth round of the US Open for the first time.
Brooksby, a 20-year-old who needed a wild card to get into the main draw of the season’s final major, is the youngest American man to make the fourth round at the US Open since a 20-year-old Andy Roddick in 2002. The home favourite will next play World No. 1 Novak Djokovic for a place in the quarter-finals.
“Today was a battle obviously. I don’t know how long it was, but I thought I started out solid. Good first set. Still a couple things I could have done better,” Brooksby said. “I just lost the mental energy way too much in the second set and third set. That’s not really easy to come back from, but I just told myself to keep staying in the present moment, keep breathing, keep staying positive, focus on what I’m working on out there. That showed in being able to turn it around today.”
The USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center has been a special venue for Brooksby, who qualified here two years ago and defeated former top five star Tomas Berdych in what ended up being the Czech player’s final match. It is fitting the World No. 99 is having his biggest breakthrough yet at Flushing Meadows following a summer in which the American’s impressive play put him under the spotlight.
Earlier this year at Roland Garros, Karatsev dismissed Brooksby in straight sets on the Parisian clay. But this time, with a raucous Court 17 crowd behind him, Brooksby battled through after three hours and 49 minutes.
Before the Hall of Fame Open in July, Brooksby had never played the main draw at an ATP Tour event (only three Grand Slam appearances). But since arriving on the Newport grass, the American has become one of the sport’s quickest-rising prospects.
Three tournaments ago, Brooksby competed at an ATP Challenger Tour event in Lexington. Now, he will play a 20-time major winner during the second week of his home Grand Slam.
Karatsev packs a punch with his powerful game and the Russian, who made the Australian Open semi-final earlier this year, scored several knockdowns with 58 winners. But like Rocky Balboa against Ivan Drago, Brooksby never gave up.
The American scrambled behind the baseline — while also taking opportunities to step into the court — to break his opponent’s serve eight times. Countless times, he put both arms in the air like a prize fighter, trying to rally the crowd behind him.
“The crowd played a big role, definitely. Them chanting, cheering me on, it gave me a lot of energy to come back down [from] two sets to one. It was a rough couple sets,” Brooksby said. “Whether it was just my group, even friends I had here, the whole crowd in general with the full stadium, it was great to see them behind me. I really enjoyed that.”
At 1-2 in the deciding set, Karatsev hit a double fault to lose serve. From there, Brooksby did not release his grip on the match.
Fans chanted, “Let’s go Brooksby, let’s go!” before the #NextGenATP star served for the match. And after Karatsev missed a final forehand return long, the crowd went wild in support of their budding star.
Brooksby’s match against Djokovic will be his first against a Top 10 opponent. His best win this year came against Felix Auger-Aliassime in Washington, where he made the semi-finals.