He dispatched Scotsman
Andy Murray
in three sets in his debut and then won a great match against Frenchman
Gael Monfils in straight sets, to advance to the third round of the
Australian Open
for the first time in his career
.
And this Friday,
Tomás Etcheverry
will face the biggest challenge and will try to achieve the big hit in the first Grand Slam of the season.
Because the player from La Plata, 32nd in the world, will face the Serbian
Novak Djokovic
, number one in the world and top favorite, in a duel that will be the main attraction of the sixth day of the tournament and in which the Argentine will go for his first victory against one one of the best in history.
"Playing with Djokovic, who is my greatest idol, is always very nice. And being able to do it at the Rod Laver could be great," Etcheverry was excited in the talk with
ESPN
, shortly after eliminating Monfils with a resounding 6-4. 6-4 and 6-4, still not knowing who his next rival would be.
The thing is that at that moment, the Serbian was on the court, playing - and suffering at times - in his clash with the local
Alexei Popyrin
, which he ended up winning with a lot of work 6-3, 4-6, 7-6 (7- 4) and 6-3.
"It's the third time I'm going to face him and it's going to be another unique sensation. It's a dream to be able to play in the main stadium with him, because I grew up watching him and everything he achieved is incredible. But I'm already a more experienced player and I have many "I want to go on the field and try to beat him. You have to go in convinced and confident," he reflected when the match with number one had already been confirmed.
The third time is the charm, the old saying goes.
The man from La Plata will try to prove that this saying is right.
The one who clashes for the pass to the round of 16 of the Oceanic Major will be the third in their head-to-head against
Nole
, who leads the history by 2 to 0. The previous two occurred last year, the best - at least for now - in Tomy's short career
.
The first meeting was in the second round of the
Masters 1000 in Rome
and it was also the first time that Etcheverry faced a top 10 player. The story ended with a victory for the Serbian, but it was far from being a slap in the face.
Located at that time in the 61st place of the ranking, the Argentine showed his very good tennis and gave a fight to the number one, who survived a very close first set and then put on cruising speed to advance in the Foro Italico.
He went 7-6 (7-5) and 6-2 in just under two hours of play.
The second occurred at the close of the calendar, also in the second round, but of the
Paris Masters 1000
.
The reality of the people from La Plata was already different.
Established in the top 50 - the following week he would reach his best position, 30th place -, he had gained confidence with a great performance at
Roland Garros
(he reached the quarterfinals with celebrations against quality rivals, such as
Alex De Miñaur
and
Borna Coric
) and raised his level.
But he ran into an intractable Djokovic, who comfortably beat him 6-3, 6-2.
Etcheverry and his effusive celebration after beating Monfils.
Photo Anthony WALLACE / AFP
"An honor to play my last game of the year with Novak. I take away many positive things to continue growing," Etcheverry wrote on
, thus lowering the curtain on an excellent year, in which he also played his first two finals, in
Santiago from Chile
and
Houston
.
The third match, which will be played this Friday on the Australian cement, finds Etcheverry in a great moment and Djokovic, with some doubts.
The 24-year-old from La Plata had a weak start to the season, with defeats in the first rounds of
Brisbane
and
Adelaide
, the two tournaments he played in the run-up to Australia.
But in Melbourne, he once again played at a very good level and easily got rid of Murray, a former number one and three-time Grand Slam champion, and Monfils, a always difficult rival.
WHICH HANDS ON, FROM ETCHEVERRY!
🇦🇷😱
TOMY IS IN THE THIRD ROUND OF THE #AUSOPEN.
💥 pic.twitter.com/d2mg9Pzi4P
— ESPN Tennis (@ESPNtenis) January 17, 2024
"It was a great game. The atmosphere was very good, there were fans on both sides, many Argentines and also many French. There was a lot of energy on the court and that didn't make it easy, but I was able to handle it very well and I played great tennis." , commented the Argentine about the duel against the Frenchman.
Djokovic, 36 years old and in search this year of the coveted Golden Slam -and his 25th "great"-, had to battle to overcome Croatian
Dino Prizmic
, 18 years old, 187th in the ranking and coming from qualifying in his
debut.
, in four sets and four hours.
And he was much more erratic than usual in his match against Popyrin, in a duel in which he seemed dazed and even had a clash with a spectator.
"In the last week I have not felt in the best shape nor am I showing my best game. It is frustrating to see the level of tennis I am competing at and the unusual mistakes I make, but this is sport. It is normal to go through moments like The only thing you can do is face it, accept what there is and try to build from there," he analyzed after beating the Australian.
And he acknowledged that he will need to improve a lot for the duel against Etcheverry, to whom he gave several compliments.
RELIEF AND THIRD ROUND FOR THE CHAMPION!
🇷🇸👊#AusOpen pic.twitter.com/LXDOjiXRHS
— ESPN Tennis (@ESPNtenis) January 17, 2024
"I haven't seen him play so far in the tournament, but I know that he is playing the best tennis of his life on hard courts, his results are quite impressive. I know Tomás and he is a good guy," he commented.
"I'm going to try to learn from our previous matches, although I have the feeling that his level on this surface has risen a lot in recent times. I am aware that I must be very prepared for a difficult match."
Etcheverry, meanwhile, was confident: "We already know each other with
Nole
. Two months ago he beat me. I'm going to have to go out and find other solutions and see how I can counteract his game. He is a rival that sometimes seems to have no gaps." "But we have to find them. I'm having a great week, I hope I continue like this in that game."
Nole, Tomy's reference
Djokovic is not just an idol for Etcheverry.
It is the yardstick with which the man from La Plata has been measuring his evolution for years.
The thing is that when he got his first ATP point, at the age of 17 and by beating
the Peruvian
Andre Ku Meza in the first round of the
Salinas ITF
in October 2016, the Serbian was already number one.
Tomás Etcheverry, his posters and a meeting with Novak Djokovic.
Tomy, who had started in the qualy of the competition and said goodbye in the second round, celebrated that victory in a special way.
On a piece of paper he wrote
"Novak Djokovic 12,900 points; Tomás Etcheverry 1 point. 12,899 missing"
and took a photo, which appeared on social networks some time later.
When I entered the top 100, in April 2022, the postcard was repeated.
After playing in the final of the
Mexico City Challenger
, which he lost to the Swiss
Marc Andrea Huesler
, Etcheverry jumped from 106th to 95th place and entered the top 100 in the rankings for the first time.
And the same celebration came out:
"Novak Djokovic 8,420, Tomás Etcheverry 714. 7,760 missing
. "
"I'm getting closer, Nole
," he wrote on Instagram along with the photo and an emoji of a laughing face.
Today, curiously, the difference in points between the two is greater.
The thing is that after a dream 2023 - in which he won three of the big four (he only lost the
Wimbledon
final against
Carlos Alcaraz
) and the
ATP Finals
-, Djokovic increased his harvest and today he accumulates 11,055.
Etcheverry, meanwhile, has 1,375 (9,680 less than the Serbian).
However, the tennis distance is less, because the man from La Plata became a solid player, capable of outmatching any rival.
Will he be able to take on his greatest idol this Friday to make the big splash in Melbourne?