University of Tennessee Athletics
Hensel Advances in Australian Open Wildcard Playoff
December 16, 2009 | Men's Tennis
Dec. 16, 2009
Former Vol Kaden Hensel won his second round-robin match Wednesday at Melbourne Park to reach the quarterfinals of the Australian Open wildcard playoff.
His bid for a wildcard into the main draw of the Australian Open continued with a 6-1, 7-6, 6-1 victory over James Duckworth.
Hensel won two of three matches in his four-player group, which included an upset of top-seeded Brydan Klein. He won 5 of 8 sets to lead his group during round-robin play.
Hensel, who is seeded seventh in the wildcard playoff, is currently ranked No. 466 in the world thanks to two wins over top-100 opponents in the last month. He earned All-America honors for the Vols in 2007 and 2008 before beginning his professional career.
Junior John-Patrick Smith also competed in the playoff but did not advance out of his group. He won one of three matches and lost his final contest 6-2, 6-4 to sixth-seeded Matthew Ebden. Smith finished third in his group.
The tournament takes the day off before picking up on Friday with the quarterfinals. Hensel likely faces Matt Reid in the next round. Match time will be posted when available.
Players Mentioned
