Jacob Fearnley earns revenge for fellow Scot Andy Murray by beating former champion Stan Wawrinka on his French Open debut
Twelve months after Stan Wawrinka ended Andy Murray’s French Open career, Jacob Fearnley exacted some Scottish revenge.
That first-round clash last year was a meeting of two old warhorses but here the fresher legs prevailed, 23-year-old Fearnley getting past 40-year-old Stan 7-6, 6-3, 6-2 on debut here in Paris.
‘I knew it was going to be a tough match,’ said the world No55. ‘It’s difficult, for sure, playing in front of the crowd always screaming his name.
‘I really enjoyed it, to be honest. Part of the battle was just not letting his name and his calibre of tennis get into my head.’
It was yet another eye-catching draw for Fearnley in his nascent career.
In a single year as a professional he has faced Novak Djokovic, Alexander Zverev, Nick Kyrgios and now Stan Wawrinka.
Jacob Fearnley beat Stan Wawrinka in straight sets on his French Open debut
Fearnley has faced some big names, and was not fazed in his opening round match in Paris
Wawrinka ended Andy Murray’s French Open career by beating him in Paris last year
The match against Kyrgios was in Melbourne and he faced two Italians in Rome this month, so the raucous atmosphere out on Court 14 – for Swiss Wawrinka is an honorary Frenchman round here – was not likely to faze him.
‘There were a lot of guys that were talking to me,’ Fearnley said of the sledging from the stands.
‘I knew they were supporting Stan but it was mostly in French. They could have been saying nice things, but I doubt it.’
A still more hostile environment awaits in the second round on Thursday, when Fearnley takes on French No2 and 22nd seed Ugo Humbert.
‘That would be cool,’ said Fearnley. ‘I played Kyrgios in Australia, that was really difficult at times. That was loud. That was a bit obnoxious, for sure.
‘Honestly I enjoy these environments. As long as they keep speaking French and I don’t understand what they’re saying, that helps, as well.’
Fearnley continues to bank invaluable experience, facing big names in big situations.
‘The more I get exposed to playing these players, playing in these environments, the better that I get at handling them,’ he said. ‘
Fearnley beat Nick Kyrgios at the Australian Open at the start of the year, and looks at home on the big stage
That’s how it works. The more you expose yourself to situations, the more comfortable, the less foreign it feels.
‘Today stepping out on the court I was definitely nervous. I think if a year ago I was put in the same situation, I don’t think I would have handled it as well as I did today, for sure.’
