Hi everyone,
I played my best tournament to date this week at the Melbourne Challenger at Rod Laver Arena. I made it through Qualifying http://www.atpworldtour.com/posting/2013/6863/qs.pdf beating 2 seeded players ranked 688 and 461 being Mitchell Krueger (USA) in the final round to qualify. I then went on to play two fellow Aussie players Nick Kyrgios and Jordan Thompson http://www.atpworldtour.com/posting/2013/6863/mds.pdf which I got through and then faced off against Matthew Ebden in the Quarter Finals Australia’s ranked No.4 player and Davis Cup player who is ranked World No. 110 in singles. I lost 4-6 1-6. I am so happy with my week and hope to take that confidence and belief into Traralgon Challenger starting Tuesday where I have received a wildcard into the main draw.
Traralgon Main Draw: http://www.atpworldtour.com/posting/2013/6865/mds.pdf
Thanks to Marc McGowan at ACELAND TENNIS for his coverage of the week. http://acelandtennis.com.au/news/179-inspired-mott-turns-giant-killer-at-melbourne-atp-challenger.html
“Blake Mott maintained his rich vein of form with two wins at the Melbourne ATP Challenger today.
BLAKE Mott has enjoyed few, if any, better days in his tennis life than this one.
Dual wins over fellow teenagers, ‘Next Big Thing’ Nick Kyrgios and in-form Jordan Thompson, delivered qualifier Mott a Melbourne ATP Challenger quarter-final place.
The New South Welshman will also climb to a new career-high ATP ranking inside the top 650 – even if he loses his last-eight clash with countryman and world No.109 Matt Ebden.
“I’m a bit shocked, actually,” Mott said, moments after reaching the quarter-finals.
“It was quite a unique day; playing twice, obviously, and I knew I’d have two tough matches … I was just trying to be a bit optimistic.
“I spent some time with (Ebden) last year in the Davis Cup and that was a huge time. It’ll be good to play him and go out there and have a crack.”
Seventh-seeded Kyrgios’ much-discussed right elbow injury overshadowed Mott’s first-up 6-3 7-5 triumph this morning.
The Canberrian played under clear duress and rarely did more than roll his first serve in, but Mott, not intimidated by the occasion, did what many could not.
He capitalised.
Seventeen-year-old Mott’s returning was first class and he pounced on anything short.
A frustrated Kyrgios audibly wondered at one stage whether he had ever been dictated to so much on serve.
Mott even fought back when he trailed 4-2 in the second set, breaking Kyrgios twice from that point to score a landmark win.
It was his second success over a former junior world No.1 inside a month after beating South Australian Luke Saville in Sydney.
Kyrgios later tweeted he should not have played.
The rain, such a nuisance for most, proved Mott’s saviour in his second-round clash with Thompson.
Thompson reeled off six straight games to go 6-4 2-0 ahead when play was suspended.
Mott’s response once the contest resumed was to claim 12 of the next 14 games to post a 4-6 6-3 6-1 victory.
“My coach told me to just get away for a bit and that, obviously, worked and I came out and felt a bit more refreshed and ready to go,” Mott said.
“There was some good tennis out there today and I’m just pumped to be playing tomorrow. I’ll just go and do the right things now and prepare.”
Mott has taken a different route to this point compared to many of his junior rivals.
He spent two months playing against open-age opposition in Turkey at the start of 2011 in a major baptism of fire as a 14-year-old and has mostly avoided the junior circuit.
“That was a personal choice I made with my dad, who was coaching me at the time,” Mott said.
“We always thought the game style I wanted to play, which I thought would get to the top level – where I really want to be – was to be aggressive.
“I was playing juniors in under-14s and I won an ITF and I watched the video of it and it was really defensive. It wasn’t the game style I wanted to play.
“I decided I didn’t want to get caught up in that, so I am willing to go under the radar a bit. I don’t need all the fame just yet.””
