Jordan Thompson praises Ivo Karlovic, recalls their epic 2016 RG clash
Australian tennis player Jordan Thompson has praised Croatian Ivo Karlovic for what he is doing at the age of 40 ahead of their French Open clash.
On Tuesday, world No. 94 Karlovic became the oldest player since 1973 to win a match on the clay of Roland Garros after beating Spaniard Feliciano Lopez 7-6 (4) 7-5 6-7 (7) 7-5.
On the other side, 69th-ranked Thompson easier than expected won his Roland Garros opener as he handed a straight-set defeat to Spanish rising star Alejandro Davidovich Fokina 6-3 6-2 7-6 (3).
"Remarkable (to be performing at this age) … he's serving out of a tree, unbelievable reach, volleys well," Thompson said of Karlovic, per the AAP and Tennis Australia.
Thompson, 25, and 40-year-old Karlovic will be clashing against each other for the second time in their respective careers when they meet in the French Open second round.
Their lone meeting came on the clay of Roland Garros in 2016 when the Croatian edged out the Australian in a five-set thriller 6-7 (2) 6-3 7-6 (3) 6-7 (4) 12-10.
"I had a heartbreaker against him three years ago," Thompson recalled.
"I'd just made the top 100, I was a wildcard, I was so disappointed because I thought I'd missed a massive opportunity, but life goes on."
from Tennis World USA http://bit.ly/2KdClLg
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