Rinky Hijikata secured a notable victory in his debut clay-court match at an ATP Tour event by defeating fifth-seed Christopher Eubanks in the first round of the Fayez Sarofim & Co. U.S. Men's Clay Court Championship. The match, which took place on Monday night, saw Hijikata emerge victorious with a 7-6 (4), 7-6 (2) scoreline, featuring two tiebreaks.
Reflecting on his performance, Hijikata acknowledged the challenge posed by Eubanks, stating, 'Just managed to get through there. It wasn't looking good for a while.' He highlighted Eubanks' consistency on first serves and expressed relief at being able to stay in the match and deliver crucial points when needed. The Australian player, currently ranked 80th in the ATP rankings, showcased his prowess by winning an impressive 79% of his first-serve points.
Describing himself as 'resilient,' Hijikata emphasized the learning curve associated with clay-court tennis, particularly for players like himself and Eubanks who have limited experience on the surface. He expressed a positive outlook on adapting to the challenges of clay-court play and looked forward to his upcoming match against American Brandon Nakashima, the 2022 ATP Finals champion.
In another match on Monday, Brandon Nakashima displayed a dominant performance, securing a 6-1, 6-4 victory over Croatian Dude Ajdukovic without dropping serve. Nakashima's strong showing sets up an intriguing clash with Hijikata in the next round of the tournament.
Additionally, Belgian player Zizou Bergs claimed a 7-6 (5), 6-3 win over American Patrick Kypson in a competitive encounter on the same day, adding to the excitement of the tournament's early rounds.
