Matt Ebden has put a tough 2014 behind him to move in to the second round of the US Open with a straight sets win over German Tobias Kamke.
Despite making the second round of the Australian Open in January, Ebden has struggled for form and battled a number of niggling injuries since April.
Against Kamke, a player ranked 21 places above him, Ebden started strongly and took the first two sets in what was high quality tennis by both players.
The physicality of the match, and the warm New York weather, saw Ebden tire early in the third set and go down 4-1.
Ebden broke Kamke’s serve when the German served for the set at 5-3, however Ebden had to fend off 3 set points a few games later at 5-6 to force a tiebreak.
“I struggled a bit in the third with my hips but I managed to just rely on my ball-striking really,” Ebden said.
“It’s just mind over matter. I knew if I got to the breaker, I was seeing the ball well.”
Strong serving and aggressive play from the baseline eventually saw the Australian move through 6-4 6-3 7-6 (7-2) in two hours and 33 minutes, setting up a clash with the tournament’s 23rd seed, Leonardo Mayer from Argentina.
Scores and updates from the US Open, featuring Emageo Group Athletes Casey Dellacqua, Matt Ebden and Olivia Rogowska will be posted on our website, Facebook page, and via the Sam Maxwell Sports Management Twitter Account.