James Watt Falls to Jenson Brooksby in ASB Classic First Round

New Zealand wildcard James Watt was eliminated in the first round of the men’s ASB Classic tennis tournament in Auckland. He faced off against American Jenson Brooksby, succumbing in straight sets with scores of 6-4 and 6-3. Despite the loss, Watt expressed that the match bolstered his confidence in his abilities.

Watt, who is ranked significantly lower than Brooksby—by approximately 600 places—believed he was competitive throughout the match. He reflected on his performance, noting, “It was cool to play at that level. I felt like I was there neck and neck, but obviously there’s levels to focus and a couple points that could have gone here or there.” His experience in the Davis Cup helped fuel his belief that he can challenge players ranked within the top 50.

While Watt acknowledged his strong moments during the match, he admitted consistency was lacking. “I thought I played well in patches,” he said. “I think I had a lot of opportunities to break and really get on top of that first set and even in the second set as well. But credit to him, he hung in there and came up with some big serves on key points.”

The crowd at Auckland’s centre court rallied behind the local player, especially as he saved five match points in a dramatic final game. Watt shared, “Those big points, just to get everyone behind me, that really gave me a boost of energy. It was a couple shots that missed by a few inches, and if those had landed, then it could have easily been the other way.” He remains optimistic about learning from this experience as he continues to improve.

Standing at 2.09 meters, Watt is a striking figure on the court, often drawing comparisons to athletes in other sports. “My high school was trying to recruit me for the first XV quite a lot, and I played basketball through high school as well,” he explained. “I think tennis was a consistent thing, and I really enjoyed it and just kept on improving at it.”

As the tournament progresses, the night session will commence at 18:00, featuring fifth seed and Auckland-raised British player Cam Norrie facing off against Frenchman Hugo Gaston. The ASB Classic continues to attract attention as players vie for victory in this prestigious event.