Aleksander Vukic is making a permanent mark in Adelaide. The world No.160 achieved his first ATP-level quarterfinal participation in the South Australian capital today, after a first top-50 triumph against Alexander Bublik earlier this week.
Vukic reached the milestone with a 6-4 7-5 victory against Steve Johnson, who had dominated the Australian in the previous week's competition.
According to Vukic, his improvement has been aided by his better ability to focus on key issues.
“I feel like I’ve been present a lot of the time, a lot of the points,” Vukic related. “Kind of making it difficult for people to get into my service games. I do think I’m hitting my second serve better. That’s one thing I did focus on last week.”
In the one-hour, 16-minute match, the 25-year-old Sydneysider outclassed his American opponent with 16 aces, only two double faults, and no break points.
Vukic also made the most of the openings he generated, with crucial breaks in the third game of the first and the 11th game of the second serving as game-changers.
For a spot in the semifinals, the Australian will face either John Isner or Thanasi Kokkinakis.
Vukic is excited about any possibility, but a reunion with fellow Australian Kokkinakis would be very memorable.
“Thanasi has been playing great. I’ve spent a lot of time with him this last year,” said Vukic. “He went through some ups and downs like we all did. He’s playing really well right now.”
Vukic is overjoyed to have set a new career high on home soil, especially despite the obstacles of competing in the pandemic-affected timeframe of the previous two seasons.
“It’s really nice to be able to be back in Australia. We just feel so comfortable here. We’re just trying to make the most of it and hopefully keep it going,” he said.
Vukic is especially motivated to make the most of his wildcard opportunity at the Australian Open next week, buoyed by a career-best performance in Adelaide.