Alright, so there I was, minding my own business, when I stumbled upon this wild ride of a tennis season. Seriously, this guy Fearnley, where did he even come from? I mean, beginning of 2024, he was nowhere near the radar—somewhere outside the top 600, if I remember correctly. And suddenly, by September, he’s busted into the top 100. How? Four ATP Challenger titles, that’s how. Like, boom, here I am, folks.
And then he’s been doing this thing on clay. Clay! Ugh, just the thought makes me wanna sneeze. This surface is what they use at Roland Garros for the French Open, and apparently, he’s won five out of eight matches on it since… oh, last month? Time flies when you’re just watching someone else run around, I guess.
Anyway, so there he was, Fearnley, playing against Lajovic, who used to be in the top 25. They, like, exchanged breaks of serve in the first four games. The kind of back-and-forth battle that either gets you on the edge of your seat or makes you spill your drink, depending on how clumsy you are. No idea why I noticed this, but it stuck with me.
But then—wait, am I getting ahead of myself? No, we’re good—Fearnley decides he likes control. He breaks for a 5-4 lead and decides to just serve out the set. Nonchalant, right? Next thing you know, he’s dominating the second set like it’s nobody’s business.
Oh, and here’s a kicker: after Lajovic’s first serve hold, Fearnley went and won six games in a row. Like, bam, done in 72 minutes. That’s shorter than some of my attempts at finding a halfway decent snack in my kitchen.
And just when you think that’s enough tennis drama for one day, Cameron Norrie, another guy in this mix, has his match against Dominic Stricker interrupted by rain. Typical, right? It was Monday or something, Norrie was leading 7-6 (7-2) 3-1, but then, poof, Mother Nature decides tennis isn’t happening now. Well, isn’t she unpredictable?
