Aleksandar Kovacevic emerged victorious in a thrilling match against Thanasi Kokkinakis at the U.S. Men's Clay Court Championship, showcasing his resilience and skill on the court. The American player secured a hard-fought victory with a scoreline of 7-6 (3), 6-7 (2), 6-4 after a grueling battle that lasted 3 hours and 16 minutes.
Reflecting on his performance, Kovacevic emphasized the importance of bravery and seizing key moments in the match. He highlighted the need to take risks and go for his shots, rather than playing it safe and potentially regretting missed opportunities.
Despite limited experience on clay courts this season, Kovacevic delivered an impressive display, winning an impressive 80% of his first-serve points and unleashing 14 aces to dominate the match.
Looking ahead, Kovacevic is set to face the winner of the match between No. 6 seed Jordan Thompson and China's Wu Yibing in the next round, eager to continue his winning momentum in the tournament.
In other matches on Tuesday, hometown favorite Gijs Brouwer faced an early exit as he was defeated by James Duckworth with a score of 6-3, 6-3. No. 8 seed Max Purcell secured a hard-fought victory over Alex Michelsen, prevailing with a score of 7-5, 6-7 (4), 6-4. Additionally, Luciano Darderi overcame American Denis Kudla in a closely contested match, winning 3-6, 7-6 (3), 6-2.
