Eyes on the prize: Blake Mott won the AMT Platinum tournament at Beaton Park on Sunday. Picture: Robert Peet
Bulli’s Blake Mott began his quest to return to the elite ranks with a straight sets victory in the final of Wollongong’s AMT Platinum tournament at Beaton Park on Sunday.
Without dropping a set throughout the event, Mott claimed the title with a 6-3, 6-0 victory over Josh Charlton.
Mott had taken a two-year break from the game and only returned to the court last month, after a career high where he made the Australian Open main draw, falling to French veteran Richard Gasquet in the first round. It was Mott’s first success since winning an ATP Challenger hardcourt tournament in Launceston in 2016, where he beat the now world No.7 Stefanos Tsitsipas.
Mott last month told radio station SEN he’d rediscovered his love for the game during the break.
“I think for me the (most significant) thing has been working with a lot of juniors, as a coach,” he said. “I found a lot of passion again and a lot of drive to really be a good role model and inspire a lot of the kids that have touched me in many ways.
If I can have the opportunity to play in another Grand Slam, I think my whole outlook would just be completely different.”
