Rising Edinburgh tennis ace Jacob Fearnley stormed into the Australian Open third round on Monday.
Fearnley won 3-6 7-5 6-2 6-3 against France’s Arthur Cazaux in a raucous atmosphere at Melbourne Park.
But despite being guaranteed a bumper pay day of around £150,000, the 23-year-old appears to be keeping his feet firmly planted on the ground.
While strolling around court-side after his rousing victory to thank supporters and sign autographs, Fearnley had a frank reply when compared to a Scottish great.
One eager fan said: “The next Andy Murray” to which Fearnley calmly replied: “I don’t think so,” reported the BBC.
Fearnley was born in Scotland and grew up in Dalkeith. He went to Merchiston Castle all-boys boarding school in Edinburgh, where he began to develop as a junior tennis player.
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The 23-year-old star caused a first round upset Down Under as he defeated home hero Nick Kyrgios in the opening round of the competition. Fans who got up early for his second round clash with Arthur Cazaux had a long morning of waiting – after the match was suspended after two sets due to heavy rain that flooded the Melbourne courts.
It proved a blessing for Fearnley, who was broken in his first game and trailed 2-0 when play was suspended. An army of ground staff used rollers to attempt to clear water from the court, reports the Daily Record.
Having spent five years at Texas Christian University, Fearnley was asked after stunning Kyrgios in the first round where his Scottish accent had gone as he joked: “It’s nowhere to be seen. It’s coming back the longer I’m outside the States.”
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