Blake Mott defeats Tai Sach to progress to the second round Cairns Tennis International.
Blake Mott continues his immaculate form with a victory in the Cairns Tennis International against Tai Sach to progress to the second round.
The No. 4 seed battled hard in the first set 7-6 after an engaging 9-7 tie-breaker.
Sach fought back strongly in the second set 3-6, before Mott’s experience and mental fortitude rallied him home in the third set with a 6-2 win.
Ranked 194 in the ITF singles in 2020, Mott said he’s starting to go on a roll after his potent performance in Darwin.
“I’ve played eight tournaments in the last couple months, going deep in a few tournaments in Asia and Australia,” Mott said.
“I feel like I’m starting to get a lot more games in and getting match tough as they say.
“I’m keeping the momentum going especially after two good weeks in Darwin.”
Mott took out the Darwin International Pro Tournament last month after a composed 6-4 6-1 victory over countryman Blake Ellis and backed up his proficient performance with his second title on the trot, defeating Jake Delaney, 6-2 2-6 6-3 in the second Darwin International Pro Tournament.
Mott said he feels confident and comfortable being back home.
“I’ve been doing these tournaments on and off since I was sixteen,” he said.
“Some of them feel familiar which is a good feeling.
“Knowing the places I’m going and how to play on certain courts is an advantage.
“I love being home at this time of year and getting among the local restaurants.”
There is an essence of calmness when Mott closes out games, capitalising on his ground strokes, backhand and ruthless returns after serve.
“Everyday can be different,” he said.
“When it comes to closing out games, you have to treat every match with absolute respect.
“Everyone is fighting for their own spot and their own win, so you can’t switch off.
“Your focus can shift in and out, lately I’ve been working on bringing my focus back quicker so less errors build overtime.
“As I’ve matured, I understand more about the process (of tennis) and can handle travel, airports and being on the road by myself.
“When I was a younger fella I found that more challenging.”
Mott finds ways to sustain a strong mental fortitude on and off the court.
“It’s about trying to keep the big picture in mind,” Mott said.
“Sometimes you do have to give yourself a break, relax, go to the beach just to enjoy the process and not get caught up in just the results of tennis on the road.”
The 27-year-old will now face Australian Kody Pearson on Thursday following his 6-2 7-5 victory against Jayden Court.
Credit: Gyan-Reece Rocha
