Britain’s Jacob Fearnley faced a disappointing end to his impressive 13-match winning streak at the Stockholm Open, losing to Dutch player Tallon Griekspoor in the second round. The qualifier, ranked 99th in the world, was defeated 7-6 (7-0), 6-3 by the seventh seed and world number 37, Griekspoor.
Close Contests and Strong Performances
Fearnley, 23, was aiming for a significant career milestone with a victory against a top-40 opponent. The first set was tightly contested, with Fearnley leading by a break before Griekspoor broke back to even the score at 4-4. The tie-break turned out to be one-sided, favoring Griekspoor, who broke Fearnley’s serve twice in the second set to clinch the match. Fearnley is likely to maintain his position within the top 100 despite this loss, thanks to a solid performance throughout the Stockholm Open.
Before reaching this stage, Fearnley had a remarkable journey, moving from being ranked 646th at the start of the year to breaking into the top 100. His success included two titles on the Challenger Tour and a strong showing in Stockholm, where he defeated Frenchman Corentin Moutet in the first round.
Looking Ahead
Following this tournament, Fearnley aims to compete in the qualifying draw for the upcoming ATP indoor event in Basel, Switzerland. He aims to secure a place in the top 100, which could grant him direct entry into January’s Australian Open.
In other news from Wednesday, Britain’s Harriet Dart lost 6-3, 6-2 to Denmark’s Clara Tauson in a WTA 250 event in Osaka, Japan. Dart, who reached a career-high ranking of 70th last month, is also focused on finishing her season on a strong note.
