Australian Underdog Hijikata Stuns Top Seed at Queen's Club
Ranked 92 places below his opponent, Australian tennis player Rinky Hijikata pulled off a stunning comeback victory at one of tennis's most prestigious grass-court tournaments. The qualifier's three-set thriller proves that rankings don't always tell the whole story.
Sometimes the biggest victories come from the biggest underdogs.
Australian qualifier Rinky Hijikata shocked the tennis world Thursday with a comeback win against Czech second seed Jiri Lehecka at Queen's Club in London. The world number 104 defeated the world number 12 in a nail-biting 4-6, 7-5, 7-6 match that came down to just a few points in the final tiebreak.
Hijikata didn't have an easy path to victory. He fell behind early in both the first and second sets, losing the opening set entirely before fighting back.
"He didn't make life easy," Hijikata said after the match. "It was a tough match all the way through and then at the end, there was only a point or two difference."
The 25-year-old Australian is now into the quarterfinals at the prestigious Wimbledon warm-up event for the second straight year. Both times, he earned his spot as a qualifier, meaning he had to win extra matches just to make the main tournament.
His opponent, Lehecka, finished as runner-up at Queen's last year and is widely regarded as one of tennis's rising stars. But rankings and reputation couldn't overcome Hijikata's determination on the grass courts of west London.
Why This Inspires
Hijikata's victory reminds us that persistence and belief can overcome even the steepest odds. He could have given up after losing the first set or falling behind early in the second, but he kept fighting.
The match showcased what makes sports so captivating: the possibility that on any given day, hard work and heart can triumph over higher rankings and bigger reputations. Hijikata had to win extra matches just to qualify for the tournament, then took down one of the top seeds once he got there.
His humble reaction afterward, acknowledging how close the match was and how tough his opponent made things, shows the character that helped him pull off the upset.
Hijikata will face either France's Ugo Humbert or Serbia's Hamad Medjedovic in the quarterfinals, carrying momentum from one of the biggest wins of his career.
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Based on reporting by Japan Today
This story was written by BrightWire based on verified news reports.
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