With Max Purcell leveraging his doubles success into a top-50 singles ranking, Todd Woodbridge believes the rising Aussie star has the potential to go deep at a major tournament.
New York City, United States, 29 August 2023 | Matt Trollope
For the first time in almost six years, Max Purcell’s singles ranking has eclipsed his doubles ranking.
But unlike in November 2017, when both figures were in the high 200s, Purcell now finds himself in the top 50 of each discipline.
Purcell arrives at the US Open at a career-high singles ranking of world No.43, and one of the form players in the men’s game. In the past three weeks he has won 11 of 14 singles matches and practically halved his ranking, beating big names like Casper Ruud, Stan Wawrinka and Felix Auger-Aliassime.
> READ MORE: Eight Australians in action on day two at US Open
Australian great Todd Woodbridge has keenly observed Purcell’s progress and feels his doubles success – the zenith of which came with his Wimbledon victory in 2022 – has profoundly and positively impacted his singles game.
“It really started when he made the Australian Open 2020 final with Luke Saville,” said Woodbridge, who also identified Purcell’s successful Davis Cup debut last year as another important stepping stone.
“(But) it was that winning Wimbledon moment with Matt Ebden when I think Max must have felt: ‘You know what? I belong here. I’m an actual fully-fledged tennis player. I’m not going to be pocketed as a doubles-only specialist.’
“I think it has shown brilliantly how important playing every aspect of our game is. He’s playing an Australian style of tennis again, which I thoroughly have loved watching.”
This Australian style, Woodbridge notes, shines through when Purcell plays the deuce court in doubles; excellent shot selection and creativity complement his ability to see, and exploit, spaces in the court.
“He’s almost two shots in front, playing a shot to set up the next shot,” Woodbridge explained. “It is a lot like how Mark Woodforde and I were taught to play doubles as Australians, and how Ash Barty played doubles, and then went into singles.”
Purcell began specifically targeting singles in late 2022 when he contested a series of ATP Challenger events in Asia. But he began to truly make inroads in early 2023, during a swing of ATP Challengers in India.
In February and March, he…
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at Tennis.com.au – Tennis Australia…