John Millman: If I Had to Pick One Tournament to Win, It Would be...

Australian tennis player John Millman says if he had to pick any tournament to win, it would be Wimbledon, followed by the Australian Open and the Davis Cup.

In an exclusive interview to the Tennishead website, the 30 year old Australian says, "One of my most special tennis moments was qualifying for Wimbledon the first time and playing on those courts. I managed to make the third round and play Andy Murray there. So it would probably have to be Wimbledon – but followed very closely by the Australian Open, which is such a special tournament. The home crowd really get behind us there. That’s from an individual perspective. Being involved in the Davis Cup, I’m quite a fan of the old format. That was pretty special too. So it would be those three.”

Millman says former World No. 1 Pat Rafter was his idol while growing up. "Coming from Queensland, it was all about Pat Rafter. He was a Mount Isa boy who moved to the Brisbane northern suburbs. If you ask any Queenslander of around my age, Pat Rafter was someone we all looked up to.”

The World no. 43 Millman says that coming from a country that is steeped in tennis history has been an advantage as well as a burden for Australian players.  “A bit of both. We hear about the tennis history and we understand what comes with that. We get compared to them a lot – and obviously we haven’t reached their heights. But the tennis environment has changed a lot since then too. I don’t think we’ll ever see a country dominate again to the extent that the Australians or the Americans did. There were a few countries that really dominated then. In Australia we have a small population and many talented athletes divided over a number of sports. There’s also maybe a slight disconnect between the previous generation and the one now, though there are a few special characters who have really taken it upon themselves to help us out. Tony Roche is one of those guys. He really makes an effort. He loves the game. He loves Australians representing their country. He’s one of the few former Australian players who don’t make you feel the pressures of what he and his generation achieved.”

Millman has also put forward a proposal for a domestic team competition if the conditions in Australia improve and it is possible to play tennis domestically before the resumption of the ATP & WTA circuits. His proposal is being considered by Tennis Australia.

from Tennis World USA https://ift.tt/2KsCeKK