Dane Sweeny lowest-ranked player since Karen Khachanov in 2013 to win ATP match

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Australian world No. 797 Dane Sweeny became the lowest-ranked player since Karen Khachanov in 2013 to win a match on the ATP Tour, per Luca Brancher. At the Great Ocean Road Open on Tuesday, wildcard Sweeny defeated Ji Sung Nam 7-6 (4) 7-5 to clinch his maiden ATP win.

In 2013, Khachanov was ranked at No. 808 when he won a match at an ATP event in Moscow. "This month’s been pretty crazy. It’s been one of the best experiences of my tennis career so far,” Sweeny told Tennis Australia.

"It definitely helped me today get through a lot of adversity, especially when I was down on the scoreboard, just to keep my cool." Sweeny claimed a straight-set win but it was a tight contest, in which the Australian delivered in key moments.

"He played well, serving good but when it got in the pressure situations, he kind of let me off the hook a bit,” Sweeny reasoned. “It enabled me to get back in the sets and I just tried to keep composed, because I knew I would get an opportunity and when the opportunities came, thankfully I took them”.

Sweeny plays next against Aljaz Bedene

Sweeny is now set for a much tougher match as he plays next former world 43. Bedene. Meanwhile, fellow Australian Jordan Thompson also made a winning start to his campaign at the Great Ocean Road Open as he beat Gianluca Mager 4-6 6-4 6-3.

"I don’t think I did much wrong when I was out there,” said Thompson. “I played one bad service game. That’s the only time I got broken in the match”. Not being able to go out of his hotel made Thompson realize some things.

"I don’t mind at hotels, just going to the courts and then going back to the hotel. It doesn’t really faze me,” Thompson admitted. “But then when the option got pulled for me not being able to like go to restaurants and stuff, I didn’t realise how much I loved that”.