#NextGenATP Brooksby Powers Into First ATP SF In Newport
#NextGenATP Jenson Brooksby played like a veteran to take down Peter Gojowczyk 6-0, 6-3 and reach his first ATP Tour semi-final at the Hall of Fame Open.
The American, who had never played a tour-level match on grass courts before arriving in Newport, raced through the first set and recovered from an early break in the second to seal the victory in just 62 minutes.
“I’m especially happy with a good first set to start it out,” Brooksby said in an on-court interview. “In the second set I could have done some things better, and I’m thinking about that still now, but I’m just happy to get through. Props to him though on a good match, and I’m going to get ready for tomorrow.”
The 20-year-old was contesting his fourth tour-level event, but came in with his confidence high after amassing a 21-2 record at the ATP Challenger Tour level this year. He has lifted three trophies, at Potchefstroom-2, Orlando-1 and Tallahassee, so far in 2021.
“It’s been a good year, and I just want to keep pushing forward,” Brooksby said. “I definitely have a lot of confidence going into these next few matches.”
[WATCH LIVE 1]Brooksby shook off two break points against Gojowczyk as he powered through the opening set, winning it to love in 23 minutes. He had to hit the reset button after going down 0-2, with the German breaking to love to start the second set. Brooksby won six of the next seven games and sealed the victory with his third ace of the match to move into the semi-finals.
He will next face seventh seed Jordan Thompson, who needed two sets to see off American Maxime Cressy 6-3, 7-6(6). All three of Thompson’s semi-final appearances have come on grass, including a runner-up finish in ‘s-Hertogenbosch (l. to Mannarino) and a last four appearance in Antalya in 2019.
Cressy, who was into his first tour-level quarter-final in Newport, saved two match points at 5-4 in a tightly contested second set and held set point at 5-6. But the Aussie held firm to reach his first tour-level semi-final of the season after an hour and 51 minutes.