Recently Get Set Tennis’ Nelson Parker was reviewing the ACT State Championships for the AO 1 point slam.
In his video he said, “The question’s always been, can we win a match against a pro? Probably not, but can we win one point against a pro? Well, possibly and that’s what makes it so exciting.”
Wednesday 14 January on Rod Laver Arena we saw that with the pressure of having to win just one point at a time, the professionals can get it wrong, including the best of the best.
It all kicked off with the players being introduced to the Rod Laver Arena crowd.
The draw included seeded players Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner, Iga Swiatek, Coco Gauff, Alexander Zvererev, Amanda Anisimova, Elena Rybakina, Jasmine Paolini, Felix Auger-Aliassime, Alexander Bublik, Daniil Medvedev, Andrey Rublev, Naomi Osaka and Maria Sakkari.
Also joining the seeds in the 48 person draw were up to 12 current ATP Tour Professional Players, 12 current WTA Tour Professional Players, up to 8 wildcards, 8 state champions and 8 qualifiers.
There were comments after the event as to why give the seeds a first round bye, it is a one point tournament after all, so it won’t take too long to play the additional matches.
The 1 Point Slam State Champions are:
ACT – Ashleigh Simes (lost first round to Andy Lee – backhand return into the net)
NT – Thomas Van Haaren ( lost first round to Karl Stefanovic – double fault)
NSW – Jordan Smith (Champion)
QLD – Alec Reverente (won KIA car)
SA – Ashwin Vijayaragavan (lost first round to Marat Safin)
TAS – Kyle Mackin (lost first round to Damien Oliver)
VIC – Petar Jovic (lost second round to Daniil Medvedev)
WA – Steve Yarwood (lost first round to Nick Kyrgios)
Their results are in brackets next to their names.
Coco Gauff when talking about the event said, “I would prefer an amateur to win the whole thing, though I think that would be life changing for them.”
Round One
The very first point was played between professional player Corentin Moutet, world no. 34, and Andres Schneiter (coach of ATP world no. 146 Adolfo Daniel Vallejo).
Schneiter was a former world no. 219 in 1988 and he is 49 years old. Schneiter didn’t really have much pace on the ball and Moutet embarassed himself by slicing the return wide. It was at least a good slice serve to start the night.
The second point saw the Today Show’s host Karl Stefanovic against NT State Champion Thomas Van Haaren. This would be the first double fault of the night as the NT player sent his second serve wide.
The third point saw an all-pro matchup with Varvara Lepchenko, world no. 146 against Chinese Taipei’s Joanna Garland, the world no. 117. Garland had just last week won the Canberra International WTA125 title. She had however lost in round one qualifying for the Australian Open.
Garland would serve and 12 shots later it was Lepchenko who had lost after hitting the ball into the net.
Nick Kyrgios was next, he faced WA State Champion Steve Yarwood (UTR 7.47). Yarwood would serve and Kyrgios the ball down the centre of the court. Yarwood hit to the backhand corner and he charged the net. Kyrgios hit a backhand that caught the line.
Yarwood at first thought the shot was out, only to see the big screen showing that the ball was on the line.
Next to play was Fortnite gamer Loserfruit Kathleen Belsten against QLD State Champion Alex Reverente. Belsten showed she should stick to gaming, her first serve bouncing before the net. The second wasn’t much better.
Two more pros faced off, this time it was men’s world no. 146 Adolfo Daniel Vallejo against world no. 36 female Mccartney Kessler from the USA.
Daniel Vallejo’s coach had won the first point of the night, but Kessler would take this point after a 13 shot rally that saw the Paraguayan hit long after the most intense rally so far.
Nine network personality Andy Lee was next on court. He was against Ash Simes, the ACT State Champion. I had been part of that event.
Lee started with mind games, and it appeared to work. He hit a pretty decent serve and Ash sent the return into the net. She could not believe it.
Now it was a coach of WTA player Ana Sofia Sanchez against world no. 70 Donna Vekic. It was another non-event after Alejandro Kon double-faulted.
Former top-10 ATP player Pablo Carreno Busta was in another male v female battle, his opponent being world no. 132 Linda Fruhvirtova. Carreno Busta is currently ranked at no. 92. The Spaniard taking the point to advance after forcing an error.
Next came the battle of the Smiths. It was AFL star Bailey Smith against the NSW State Champion Jordan Smith. The latter being a coach at his family owned Castle Hill Tennis Academy.
Jordan has a UTR of 11.96 and he has competed in some ITF events including the M25 Clay Court event in Canberra back in March, 2023. In that he won the first round and then lost to Tristan Schoolkate.
So Jordan is a fringe level professional player. Jordan served to Bailey, but the latter hit the return just wide.
As they continued to roll through the draw it was now world no. 26 Arthur Rinderknech against Coco Gauff’s hitting partner Johan Tatlot who had come through qualifying. Rinderknech served and after a few ground strokes it was Tatlot that went for a big forehand that he sent long.
The Victorian State Champ Petar Jovic was against Chinese superstar in the pop world, Jay Chou. Jovic served the first Ace of the night with Chou not moving at all to get to the serve. Chou helped with a lot of ticket sales, but he didn’t do much out on court.
Jovic has been a hitting partner at the Australian Open for Taylor Fritz, Daniil Medvedev, Casper Ruud, Holger Rune and Coco Gauff.
After a few byes it was down to slots 51 and 52 on the draw, that was Melbourne Cup winning jockey, Damien Oliver against Kyle Mackin the Tasmanian State Champion.
Oliver served and Mackin returned and then after Oliver hit a tame shot down the centre of the court, Mackin decided to play an approach shot, it sailed over the baseline and his night was over.
As we were getting close to the bottom of the first round draw it was another male pro v female pro in an all-Spanish matchup. World no. 71 Pedro Martinez was across the net from world no. 123 Aliona Bolsova.
Bolsova decided to serve underarm, that brought Martinez to the net, he played a short forehand and Bolsova hit a weak shot up the line from the service line, that left the court open for Martinez to volley for a winner.
SA State Champion Ashwin Vijayaragavan found himself receiving the serve of 2005 Australian Open champion Marat Safin. The former world no. 1 fired down a deep first serve and worked his opponent around the court before angling a forehand wide to the Vijayaragavan’s forehand.
Vijayaragavan scrambled wide but could only hit his shot into the net.
Australian jouneyman Calum Puttergill was up against world no. 22 Flavio Cobolli of Italy. Puttergill has a career high singles rank of no. 663, he is better known as a doubles player and now is the coach of Dane Sweeny.
Puttergill’s moment in the spotlight was short lived as he sent his topspin serve into the net. Cobolli advance without touching the ball. There are no second chances.
That brought the event to the end of round one, it was now time for the big stars to take to centre court.
Round Two
They had worked from top to bottom in the round of 64, the went from bottom to top in the round of 32.
Cobolli was back straight away to face Iga Swiatek. It was men’s world no. 22 and women’s no. 2. Swiatek served, and it was close to a fault, but play on.
Swiatek started moving Cobolli side to side and after having him hitting a wide forehand she went to the sideline on his backhand. The Italian scrambled to reach the ball but was forced into an error that left his shot bouncing at the service line on his side.
Swiatek pumped her fists and had a big smile on her face as she started what would become a familiar pattern, the women beating the men.
The next point was between current world no. 31 Frances Tiafoe and Safin. The hitting was more like a warmup drill, but on the 12th shot it was Safin that hit a ball into the net.
Spanish qualifier Pedro Martinez was back out on centre court against Elena Rybakina the 7th seed in the tournament and world no. 5 on the WTA rankings.
Rybakina served wide to the backhand from the advantage side of the court. After a few tame shots it was Rybakina that sent a slice backhand long. Another uneventful rally. One for the men.
Next we saw the towering presence of Alexander Bublik alongside Oliver. The 53-year-old jockey won the Melbourne Cup three times: on Doriemus (1995), Media Puzzle (2002) and Fiorente (2013).
Oliver won the paper, scissors, rock and went against the trend and served. He missed the first serve but landed the second serve. Bublik worked the jockey to the backhand corner and he missed his shot wide.
Now it was former world no. 1 Daniil Medvedev against Victorian State Champion Jovic, he had Aced Chou in round one. After winning the right to serve he stepped up to the baseline.
Jovic sent down a decent first serve to the advantage side and Medvedev didn’t really get onto the forehand return. He sliced it just overe the net to force Jovic to come as if it was a planned drop shot.
Jovic pushed the ball deep and the 2021 US Open champion lobbed him off of a volley. The ball went deep and the Victorian surprised the crowd with a perfectly hit tweener, but Medvedev was all over it at the net and he played a delicate cross court volley for the win.
Again we would see a male v female pro point. Round one winner Rinderknech was against Amanda Anisimova the world no. 4. Rinderknech sent his serve long and he was done.
The Frenchman said, “Just went too hard. Went for it. Go big or go home, I go home.”
Jordan Smith was back on court against world no. 86 Laura Pigossi, he served and started a 20 shot rally, it would end with Pigossi sending a volley well over the baseline. Earlier Pigossi sent Smith scrambling to the baseline after a well played volley.
Smith would have also earlier had his heart in his mouth after mishitting a shot that just crept over the net. His dream was still alive.
Now the star power really was out on court. Jannik Sinner, two-time defending Australian Open champion and current world no. 2 was to face Carreno Busta.
Sinner wasn’t holding back and he forced an error from his opponent.
Vekic was back out against Coco Gauff. The world no. 3 made a mess of her serve, hitting it into the net and her tournament was over.
Andy Lee was now facing a former US Open and Australian Open champion Naomi Osaka. It was Osaka that won the rock, paper, scissors and sent Lee to serve.
The first serve was sent into the net and Lee decided to serve underarm but he was wide of the mark.
Kessler was against Jasmine Paolini from Italy, after Kessler served, it didn’t take long and Paolini had hit long to be eliminated.
QLD State Champion Reverente faced off against Canada’s world no. 7 Felix Auger-Aliassime.
Reverente served a fault to start when he was trying to angle the serve wide. His second serve was deep and Auger-Aliassime took a big swing, the shot went long.
Andrey Rublev then took on Nick Kyrgios. It was the Canberran that won the paper, scissors, rock and let Rublev serve. Rublev rolled in a 109km/h serve to get the rally started. On the 18th shot Kyrgios upped the pace and caught Rublev off gaurd, the Russian sent his backhand wide.
Qualifier Joanna Garland then faced off against men’s world no. 3 Alexander Zverev. Garland served and immediately showed she wasn’t holding back. She was going for her shots.
On the 16th shot of the rally it was Zverev that just floated back a backhand slice to the backhand corner of the Taiwanese player, she stepped in and blasted a backhand down the line, Zverev got caught by surprise and he mishit his forehand. Joanna advanced.
Next it was Stefanovich against Maria Sakkari who is currently ranked at no. 52. Sakkari served at 102km/h and the Today Show host stepped in and got the return back in play, but he failed to handle Sakkari’s next shot and his forehand was just over the baseline.
Now at the top of the draw in round two it was finally the turn of world no. 1 male player, Carlos Alcaraz. His opponent was Schneitner. The coach served and volleyed. Alacaraz fired a return at Schneitner’s feet and he got his racquet to the ball. The ball just hit the top of the net and fell back. It could have easily trickled over to Alcaraz’s side of the court.
Round of 16
Swiatek versus Tiafoe and the American sent his serve just long and he was gone.
Bublik versus Martinez. The Spaniard served an underarm serve and Bublik blasted a forehand into the net.
Anisimova versus Medvedev. A good rally after Medvedev served. Anisimova had her opponent on the run and he hit a shot just over the baseline.
Sinner versus Smith. Sinner served into net and he was done. The NSW State Champion moved on.
Vekic v Osaka. Vekic served very close to the service line and Osaka sent the return long.
Reverente v Kessler. First serve goes in and Kessler loops a return that landed very close to the sideline. Kessler then belted the ball and the Queenslander couldn’t handle the pace.
Garland v Kyrgios. Garland served and Kyrgios went for a big backhand return, it went long and Garland advanced.
Alcaraz v Sakkari. The world no. 1 served and they got into a good rally. Sakkari was scrambling but Alcaraz went for a drop shot that didn’t clear the net. Sakkari advanced.
Quarter Finals
Swiatek v Martinez. Swiatek rolled in a 115km/h serve and the rally started, there were good solid shots but then Swiatek eventually cracked and hit long.
Anisimova v Smith. It was Smith that served at 147km/h. Anisimova sent her return just over the baseline.
Kessler v Vekic. Kessler served and then on the fifth shot Kessler didn’t time the ball well, it fell short into the net.
Garland v Sakkari. Garland served at 113km/h and after a few shots it was Sakkari that sent the ball wide down the backhand sideline.
Semi finals
Smith v Martinez. Smith served at 157km/h on his first serve but it was long. A 125km/h second serve was in. A 22 shot rally followed and it was Martinez that mistimed a backhand that went wide. The crowd went wild.
Garland v Vekic. Again it was Garland serving. Vekic returned down the centre of the court and Garland upped the pace on a backhand, Vekic sent that next shot long.
Final
After not knowing just how things would pan out we had the unexpected finalists in world no. 117 female Joanna Garland facing NSW State Champion Jordan Smith.
Before the final there was the surprise of having the top two amateurs having a playoff for the Kia car. It had been previously said that the top placed amateur would win the car.
Reverente took that playoff point and won the car. Smith was now facing the possibility of missing out on the car and the million dollars.
Garland again found herself serving. Garland, after playing so well saw the final point ended up being anticlimatic.
The serve went in, Smith returned up the middle of the court and then Garland stepped in for a backhand but she missed it well wide.
The crowd went wild and Smith was the unlikely champion of the AO 1 point slam.
Smith actually has played some ITF tournaments, including one in Canberra. He has had a ranking of no. 1141 back on 3 April 2023 and has earned $6,388 in prize money. That certainly has jumped now with the million dollar prize.
Looking at the breakdown of how the points ended there were 24 shots hit out, 4 double faults, 5 single faults, 10 into the net or not making the net, 3 winners and one Ace for the night.
