Over the preceding fifteen months, Fearnley’s development has been notably swift, potentially obscuring the fact that he still has limited experience at the elite level.
Just over a year prior, this former athlete from an American university was positioned outside the top 500 players globally.
He has since rapidly advanced in the standings, achieving a spot within the top 50 in June, following a remarkable entry into the ATP Tour.
It’s common for Fearnley to be matched against prominent figures early in Grand Slam events, giving him opportunities to compete on some of the most renowned courts.
However, recent performance has been affected by a kind of anxiety that seems to particularly affect his service game.
When questioned on how to resolve this issue, Fearnley responded, “I’m honestly not sure. I suppose it’s a positive to realise that I can still win even when I’m hitting a lot of double faults.
“Some days are better than others, but the double faults have certainly been a problem in recent matches.
“Next, I’m up against Zverev on another significant court – a highly competitive, tense setting. I think repeatedly placing myself in those situations will be beneficial.”
As Fearnley and Bautista Agut did not commence their match until after 8 p.m. local time, the duration of the evening appeared lengthy when the British number three eventually secured the first set in just over an hour.
When Fearnley introduced greater diversity into his play during the second and third sets—using different tactics to strategically move his opponent, ranked number 47 worldwide—it brought favorable outcomes.
Fearnley was closing in on what looked to be a relatively quick, straight-set victory when he achieved an early break of serve in the third set, but further double faults allowed the 37-year-old Bautista Agut to prolong the match.
However, he recovered commendably in the fourth set, managing to land a higher proportion of his first serves and reducing the number of double faults, which helped him to secure the win.
Progressing beyond the first round signifies that Fearnley has now accomplished a complete set of victories at each of the four Grand Slam tournaments.
“That was an incredibly challenging match. I was aware that Roberto would push me until the very end,” Fearnley stated, after concluding the match around 11:15 p.m. local time.
