Pierre-Hugues Herbert made a name for himself as he entered uncharted territory for the first time as a singles player at the 2016 Australian Open.

Qualification

In his opening match, Herbert faced Gastao Elias. Having no breaks of serve in the first set, it was the Frenchman who claimed it on a tie-breaker, 7-6(6), after an hour of play. The second was claimed comfortably 3-6 by Elias, but it would be Herbert who would win the third set 6-3 and claim the match 7-6(6), 3-6, 6-3 to book his spot in the next round.

Up next he faced a Swiss Davis Cup winner in Marco Chiudinelli and this time, he made light work of the Swiss as he was victorious, winning 7-6(5), 6-4. 

In the final qualifying match, Herbert faced off against a familiar foe, Edouard Roger-Vasselin, who has been as high as number 35 back in early 2014. This would prove to be a tough test for the younger Frenchman as he looked to book a spot in the main draw. The first set claimed 6-3 by Herbert in 36 minutes, but the more experienced man, who has reached round three of the main draw, won the second 6-1 in 26 minutes to level the match. Both men were struggling to convert break points during this match but finally, after more than an hour, it was Herbert who won the third set 9-7 to advance to his first ever Australian Open main draw, winning an epic 6-3, 1-6, 9-7 encounter.

Main Draw

Having never made the main draw, Herbert was heading into unknown territory and having made his way through qualification, and his first real task was Spain’s Pablo Andujar, a match that could end up either way. Having lost the opening set 7-5, the Frenchman then went on to win the next three to his surprise win the match 5-7, 6-4, 7-6(5), 6-2.

Up next the Frenchman faced an upcoming American, Noah Rubin, who had gained entry to this year’s Australian Open by accumulating the most points by an American player in a three-event challenger series. Rubin had also shocked Benoit Paire in the previous round by defeating the Frenchman 7-6(4), 7-6(5), 7-6(5). However, after just over an hour, Pierre-Hugues Herbert was looking confident and had a two set lead over the American wildcard. The third set flashed by in 17 minutes as Herbert dealt Rubin a bagel and advanced 6-3, 6-4, 6-0.

In the next round he would face the ninth seed and Davis Cup team mate Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. This match would be a step too far for the younger and less experienced Frenchman as he was defeated 6-4, 7-6(7), 7-6(4).

In the first set, it was Tsonga who took control and he looked set to do so in the next two, but Herbert showed some of that fighting spirit and he broke back early on in each set. But ultimately, it was the lack of experience which saw Herbert narrowly lose the match, 6-4, 7-6(7), 7-6(4). During the match, Pierre served 11 aces, 5 double faults, hit 43 winners and had 46 unforced errors compared to Jo’s 23 aces, 3 double faults, 46 winners and 19 unforced errors.  For Pierre, this was the first time he had reached the third round of a Grand Slam.

“It’s never easy playing against a guy you like, he’s a good guy,” Herbert said. “It’s never easy to find the motivation but I have to do it, but outside of the court, we will have a laugh and a joke. I feel pretty good. I’m in good shape. A few weeks ago, I was really fat and, to be honest, now I feel really fit and I hope I have a good year.”

After the Australian Open, Herbert rose 28 spots in the rankings to his current ranking of number 140 in the world.

Having made the breakthrough in Grand Slams, this should give Herbert more confidence that he can bring some of his form into the rest of the year. He should be aiming to end the year inside the top 100.