Andrew Coelho reached the third round of the men’s doubles at this week’s Australian Open and is hoping to make major inroads on the professional tour in 2009. 25709 Picture: Stewart ChambersBy Marc McGowan
ENDEAVOUR Hills tennis star Andrew Coelho has emerged from this week’s Australian Open more confident than ever that he belongs on the professional tour.
The 21-year-old left-hander achieved his best grand slam result with a third-round showing in the men’s doubles with fellow Victorian Joe Sirianni.
The pair, who required a wildcard into the event, shared a cool $31,245 for their efforts.
They warmed up for their debut appearance together with a two-hour practice session with former world number-one Americans Bob and Mike Bryan.
Coelho’s and Sirianni’s three-set first-round victory over Spaniard Guillermo Garcia-Lopez and Romanian Victor Hanescu matched the former’s previous best result from the 2006 Australian Open.
South African fifth seeds Jeff Coetzee and Wesley Moodie were the next victims – in straight sets.
And the Victorians looked set to march into the quarter-finals after earning a 4-2 lead in the deciding set of their encounter with Italians Simone Bolelli and Andreas Seppi, but lost the final four games of the match.
Coelho admitted he was “shattered” immediately after the fade out, but was delighted with his overall campaign.
“I probably didn’t expect to get that far because I hadn’t played with Joe before, but from the first round we played quite well together,” he said.
“Before when I used to step out onto the court in grand slams I would be a bit nervous, but now, having played a few matches there, I’m used to the show courts and the whole experience.
“Definitely in the years to come I’m not going to be as nervous against those kinds of guys.”
Coelho entered the Australian Open with a world doubles ranking of 360, but hopes this week’s result will take him close to his career-high ranking of 207 from two years ago.
He is ranked 332 in singles and aims to be inside the world’s top 150 players by year’s end.
Coelho quit his Australian Institute of Sport scholarship last September to work with former coach and doubles specialist Andrew Florent.
He is hoping to finalise his arrangement with Florent in the coming weeks and feels ready for a big year on the tour.
“This last two weeks I’ve been hitting the ball and playing my best tennis so far, so I’m looking forward to 2009 to see how I can go,” Coelho said.
“I’m going to go to Asia to play after the summer in Australia and then either Europe or the States – more likely the States.
“I definitely feel more confident.”
Coelho’s next appearance on court will be at next week’s Burnie Challenger hard court event in Tasmania.
There are also two grass court Futures tournaments in Mildura and South Australia this month before the Melbourne Challenger completes the Australian summer.
Coelho and Sirianni plan on continuing their budding partnership.
“Hopefully we’ll continue playing well together,” Coelho said.
“I think both of us do everything quite well – he returns great, volleys well, has a good serve and good groundies.
“We both have all-court games and we’ve just kind of clicked together and played well.”
