Hurkacz Wins Five-Set Thriller in Australian Open First Round
Polish star Hubert Hurkacz survives a tough five-set battle against Japanese qualifier Shintaro Mochizuki to advance to the second round of the Australian Open.
Hurkacz, seeded 10th, won the match 7-6 (7-5), 6-7 (1-7), 6-1, 6-7 (4-7), 6-4 in a match that lasted over three hours.
Mochizuki, who is ranked 150th in the world, gave Hurkacz a run for his money, winning two sets and pushing the Polish star to the limit in the others.
Hurkacz will now face either Australian wildcard Rinky Hijikata or French qualifier Ugo Humbert in the second round.
The win is a good start for Hurkacz, who is looking to make a deep run at the Australian Open for the first time in his career. He reached the semifinals of the Paris Masters in November and will be hoping to carry that form into the first Grand Slam of the year.
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