British rising star Jacob Fearnley faces home favourite Nick Kyrgios in what promises to be a thrilling Australian Open first-round clash at John Cain Arena on Monday.
This match pits a player on a meteoric rise against a former Grand Slam finalist making his comeback after a lengthy injury layoff.
Fearnley's ascent in the tennis world has been nothing short of remarkable. Just a year ago, while competing in college tennis, he was the world number 646 in the men’s rankings. Now, ranked 92nd, Fearnley has earned his spot in the main draw of the Australian Open through his own merit.
His rapid rise up the rankings is one of the fastest climbs to the Top 100 in recent memory.
The 23-year-old finished the 2024 season with an impressive 90% win rate on the Challenger Tour, making his breakthrough during the grass court season where he claimed his maiden ATP Challenger title in Nottingham.
That victory sparked a phenomenal run of form, with Fearnley going on to win three more Challenger titles and winning his first-round match in the main draw of Wimbledon.
The wildcard even took a set off seven-time champion Novak Djokovic in the second round to give British fans a tantalising glimpse of his promise.
On the other side of the net stands Nick Kyrgios, a player known for his mercurial talent and crowd-pleasing style.
The Australian has not competed in his home Grand Slam since 2022, having been sidelined for two years due to knee and wrist injuries.
His return to competitive tennis at the Brisbane International last week was met with mixed results, raising questions about his fitness for best-of-five-set matches.
Jacob Fearnley to win - 11/10
Kyrgios admitted to being unsure whether he will be fit enough to compete at the Australian Open after losing in three sets to Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard in Brisbane.
He revealed his first singles match in 18 months had left him in "throbbing" pain.
Kyrgios, who has been hindered by an abdominal strain, has no great expectations going into his first grand slam appearance since making the 2022 US Open quarter-finals.
But it seems like his right wrist is the main issue as the Australian underwent mid-match treatment on the joint which required reconstructive surgery during his long injury lay-off.
Despite the uncertainties surrounding Kyrgios's fitness, he is favoured to come out on top against the still-inexperienced Fearnley.
The Briton enters the tournament in red-hot form, having won 26 of his last 30 matches on the Challenger Tour. His confidence will be sky-high, and he'll be eager to prove himself on the Grand Slam stage.
Fearnley’s display on Wimbledon’s Centre Court against Djokovic, where he broke the Serbian’s serve twice, suggests he can handle the big stage and is unlikely to be overawed by a charismatic opponent with the crowd on his side.
Kyrgios, known for his powerful serve and unpredictable shot-making, can be a nightmare for any opponent when on form.
However, his inconsistency and potential lack of match fitness could play into Fearnley's hands.
Jacob Fearnley 15+ Aces - 1/1
Fearnley’s serve is decent but not dominant at ATP Tour level.
However, he has an opportunity to rack up a lot of aces against Kyrgios, who has been known to offer minimal resistance against opponents’ serve in the past when he wants to conserve energy in five-set matches.
He was aced 36 times by the big-serving Mpetshi Perricard in Brisbane last week.
The Frenchman served around nine aces per set in his other three matches at the tournament.
With the potential for four or five sets in Monday’s game, Fearnley could tally 15 or more aces in the clash.
He served 13 against Djokovic, one of the best returners of serve the tennis world has ever seen, at Wimbledon.
Over 41.5 Total Games - 5/6
Kyrgios’ serve remains pretty solid. The Australian did not drop a service game against the 31st-ranked Mpetshi Perricard, saving the two break points which he faced.
The 29-year-old was delivering serves at around the 180-190 kmh mark in that game, some way down on his peak speeds but still good enough to get the job done at Grand Slam level.
Fearnley may struggle to earn opportunities on the Kyrgios serve but the Briton's overall form and superior fitness level should ensure he remains competitive throughout the match.
This has the makings of a classic and could go to four or five sets, which would mean a late finish for the Melbourne crowd.
There were 41 total games in Fearnley’s match against Djokovic last summer and the Scot looked capable of lasting the pace had the second-round clash gone to a decider.
There is a solid case for backing over 41.5 games in the match with Kyrgios having just battled out a three-setter with Mpetschi Perricard that featured three tie-breaks.
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Jacob Fearnley - 11/10
Nick Kyrgios - 8/11
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This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.