“I am very happy, especially with the way I managed to react in the second set, which was decisive,” Onclin told BELGA. “I was trailing once again, but I held on well. During the match, I knew I couldn’t let him dominate because he is very aggressive. I struggled at the start, but gradually I improved. My returning was strong, and my groundstrokes were very good.”
However, the Liège native admitted he could have won the second set more comfortably: “In the end, I delivered an excellent tie-break and managed to carry on my momentum while he cracked a bit.”
Gauthier Onclin is just one step away from his first Grand Slam main draw qualification. To achieve this, the protégé of Steve Darcis must defeat American Mackenzie McDonald (ATP 130), 29, the 25th seed, on Thursday.
“Qualifying for the main draw of a Grand Slam would be something exceptional, a dream,” he continued. “It will be a very complicated match. I am up against a former world number 40. But I know that by hanging in there and playing as I have been since the beginning of the week, I will have a chance.”
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While he knows his opponent “from afar,” Onclin wants to stay focused: “My serve has improved a lot, but it will need to be even better. I hope to play a good match, seize my opportunities, and have no regrets.”
Kimmer Coppejans (ATP 361) was satisfied with his achievement of reaching the third round of the Australian Open qualifiers on Wednesday in Melbourne. The Ostend player, 30, defeated Monegasque Valentin Vacherot (ATP 162), 26, 6-4, 7-6 (7/3), who was the 31st seed.
In a reaction to BELGA, Coppejans explained that he delivered “a very good match, much better than the previous day.”
“The big difference is that I returned much better. And I continued to serve well. In fact, everything was generally better. I wrapped it up with an excellent tie-break, with some very beautiful points at very important moments. I am clearly satisfied with this victory, but not euphoric, as tomorrow (Thursday), the goal is to win one more match to reach the main draw.”
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Kimmer Coppejans is indeed just one victory away from making it to the main draw of the Australian Open. This would be the second time in his career, after 2021, when he lost in the first round. To do so, the Flandrien will have to defeat Brazilian Thiago Monteiro (ATP 106), 30, the 6th seed.
“Qualifying would be a beautiful moment after what I experienced last year with my injury and elbow surgery,” Coppejans continued, who is coming “from afar.”
“There were doubts about my ability to play at the highest level again, especially at the beginning when I was constantly dealing with pain. Fortunately, that has finally gone away, and I was able to focus on making my comeback.”
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For him, qualifying would be “the cherry on the cake.” “Monteiro is a left-hander with very explosive tennis. He serves well and has a strong forehand. It will be very important to be aggressive and to make him run. In short, just play well.”
