At Wimbledon, Maxime Cressy’s Throwback Model Helps Him Cost Ahead

“I misplaced each time,” he mentioned. “I did not need to attempt once more.”

And but, amid all this net-play pessimism, there may be Cressy, all 6-foot-6 of him, plus the mop of soiled blond curls that provides him an additional inch or two. He is available in behind his first serve, his second serve, and on his opponent’s serve, each time he senses an opportunity. He is available in after each shortish ball he sees and even after his opponent passes him on three consecutive factors. He believes in serve and volley with the fervor of a cult member, even when it’s a cult of 1.

“This fashion can take me to the highest,” he mentioned after a first-round loss on the French Open, and when he says “the highest,” he means the No. 1 rating. In any case, that loss was on clay, which has lengthy been kryptonite to serve-and-volleyers.

Cressy has been battling standard knowledge for a decade, attempting to grasp the serve-and-volley since he was a promising junior participant in France. France’s tennis federation principally informed him to chop it out, as if he had been goofing off throughout observe. If that was the best way he was going to play, they did not need a lot to do with him. Cressy wouldn’t finances.

“I beloved it,” he mentioned Tuesday evening after knocking off Auger-Aliassime, the sixth-seeded Canadian and a stylish dark-horse at Wimbledon, 6-7 (5), 6-4, 7-6 (9), 7 -6 (5). He’ll play one other American, Jack Sock, within the second spherical on Thursday. “Whether it is one thing I really like, I’d as effectively do it and make it as environment friendly as potential.”

Cressy skilled at an academy throughout his final 12 months in highschool and was recruited to play at UCLA, the place coaches noticed some potential for him in doubles. They had been right, and he turned a collegiate doubles champion in 2019.

However Cressy by no means stopped believing in the concept that his sport was ignoring a mode that may very well be extremely environment friendly for a singles participant with a giant serve, a capability to maneuver, unflappable confidence and a willingness to dash, scurry, bend, crouch, squat and stretch for balls earlier than they land. Therefore the sore rear finish after Tuesday’s match.