EDINBURGH tennis star Jacob Fearnley responded to a fan deeming him “the next Andy Murray” after his win at the Australian Open earlier this week.
The Scots player also praised his dedicated fans, saying their cheers helped him secure his landslide win against Arthur Cazaux.
Today though, fans sadly saw Fearnley knocked out of the competition after a loss to Alexander Zverev.
Despite his loss, he was praised by Zverev who called him “an incredible player”.
The 23-year-old has quickly scaled the ranks, moving up from being #646 in the world just last year.
After his win on Wednesday, Fearnley was met with fierce support from rowdy supporters.
He said: “I actually didn’t really look at the court before I went on, so when I saw the bar, I was thinking it’s going to be a pretty rowdy atmosphere.
“But as I settled into the match, I kind of blocked it out as much as I could.
“Obviously there was some supporters who were extremely drunk, but it was a great atmosphere.
“There was one guy who was extremely vocal on the bar side.
“At first I couldn’t tell if he was trying to psych me out, but then I realised he was on my side.
“One fan in a Scotland shirt actually got escorted out at the end. I wanted to see him because he was a really good support (sic).”
One supporter managed to get a selfie with the tennis pro, captioning the picture “The next Andy Murray”.
However, Fearnley was quick to quell the comparisons, replying: “I don’t know about that.”
After his loss today, he has insisted he wants to keep on learning, saying: “I thought I played some good tennis, some good moments, some low moments.
“I don’t think there was too much in it. Just a few points here and there.
“I think that’s what those top guys do so well. They keep composed, and their base level just stays the same throughout the whole match.
“Mine went quite up and down, which I think is what cost me the match.
“He’s extremely solid, and obviously he’s got a massive serve. He chooses the right opportunities to go for the ball.
“I think for me that will come with experience, just knowing when to maybe go for it and maybe when just to play solid.
“I thought I missed some balls by such small margins. That’s enough.
“It’s a big confidence boost, knowing that I can compete against some of the best players in the world, it’s really cool to see.”
