American tennis is in good shape right now, and Jenson Brooksby has won his first match at this year’s Shanghai Masters.
Four American women are in the quarterfinals of the China Open, and with Madison Keys and Coco Gauff winning majors this year, they’re in great shape.
When it comes to the men, Taylor Fritz, Frances Tiafoe, and Ben Shelton are the three players hoping to end the USA’s long wait for a men’s singles champion in the coming years.
Jenson Brooksby was praised by Jack Draper at the start of this year, and the world number 57 has been showcasing exactly what he’s capable of at the Shanghai Masters.
Photo by Koji Watanabe/Getty ImagesUS Open semifinalist praises Jenson Brooksby
It’s been a long road to the ATP Tour for Brooksby, who has served a suspension and had wrist surgery already despite only being 24.
His performance against James Trotter was impressive, however, as he came through 7-6, 6-1 to set up a second-round match against Tallon Griekspoor.
Former US Open semifinalist Robbie Koenig was covering the game as a co-commentator for Sky Sports Tennis, and he was very impressed with the American player.
He said: “I think he looked good, he showed us what he’s all about, epitomised the variety that he can bring.
“He took a while to get to grips with how well Trotter was serving in that opening set, and by the time that tie-breaker came around, he was able to suss it out. Plenty of winners in tough conditions, and I couldn’t believe how well he served.
“If he keeps up that level of ratio of points won on his serve, then he’s going to be in business. It wasn’t always big, but it was always accurate; he had no double faults, and he defended that second serve with aplomb, offering no break points up.”
Jenson Brooksby stats vs James Trotter at the Shanghai Masters
It’s proving to be a pretty successful year for Brooksby on the tour, and with each performance, he will grow.
The player was knocked out of the Japan Open by Fritz last week, but he will take heart from a clutch of American players pushing each other on the tour.
Jenson Brooksby stats vs James Trotter
Brooksby is clearly keen to make up for lost time, and the challenge for the player is to gain as much experience as possible and keep progressing as a player.
As Koenig points out, his serve was extremely good, and given the stats he produced, there could be bigger days to come for Brooksby in the future.