Jacob Fearnley continued his impressive rise at Wimbledon, defeating Alejandro Moro Canas in just under three hours to set up a dream second round match at Wimbledon against Novak Djokovic.
The 22-year-old had a solid professional season last year but has made a big leap forward this year during the grass-court season.
He was ranked 525th in the world at the start of last month but has rocketed up the rankings following a shock win at the Nottingham Open after qualifying.
Fernley defeated compatriot Charles Bloom in the final and rose to an impressive 251st in the rankings.
Jacob Fernley was ranked 525th in the world at the end of May.
Reuters
But his stunning victory on the second day of Wimbledon has already earned him a new career-high ranking.
The Scottish-born tennis star made his Grand Slam main draw debut against Moro Canas, who had also never played in a major tournament.
This makes for an intriguing first round match and a great opportunity for Fearnley to set a new record and move closer to the world top 200.
Bad weather caused multiple delays early in the match on Tuesday, but that didn’t bother Fernley, who won a tight first set.
The second set saw a one-hour stoppage after Moro Canas conceded a break of serve to Fearnley in the fifth game.
In the end, this proved decisive, as Fearnley kept his cool and served out the set to take a commanding lead.
The job wasn’t done yet, and his opponent didn’t back down in the third set, forcing a tense tiebreak.
Fernley eventually won the tiebreaker 14-12, holding his hands to his head in disbelief.
Jacob Fearnley defeats Alejandro Moro Canas to advance to the second round
Getty
He reached the second round of Wimbledon where he will face seven-time champion Djokovic.
Speaking ahead of the tournament, Fearnley admitted that after looking at the draw he had a shot at a match against the Serbian superstar.
“When I saw it, I was excited to face whoever it was first up against. Obviously, it’s a good matchup to get into the first round and we definitely have a chance,” Fernley said.
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Jacob Fearnley’s next opponent is Novak Djokovic
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The match against Djokovic will likely be scheduled for Thursday and could take place on Centre Court.
But Wimbledon will make a decision on the day as to whether Andy and Jamie Murray will compete in the doubles.
The tournament organizers will likely be keen to get Andy on Centre Court, but it could wreak havoc on the schedule.