Montpellier's Arthur Cazaux sparks at the Australian Open

Première victoire en Grand Chelem pour Arthur Cazaux. MAXPPP – Peter Foley

Invited by the organizers, the young man passed the first round in five sets.

The Montpellier Arthur Cazaux, 122nd in the world and invited by the organizers, obtained the first Grand Slam victory of his career, in five sets, 6-2, 6-7 (3/7 ), 6-2, 3-6, 6-2 at the expense of Serbian Laslo Djere (33rd) Tuesday.

This is also only his second victory on the main circuit. The first goes back more than two and a half years, in Geneva in May 2021 (against Mannarino).

A victory two years ago

Cazaux is the fourth French player to advance through the first round of the 2024 edition of the Australian Open in five sets, after Adrian Mannarino, Luca Van Assche and Hugo Grenier the day before.

He fought for nearly three and a half hours in the heart of the Australian countryside to defeat Djere. In the Grand Slam, the 21-year-old Frenchman had so far tried his luck three times in vain (twice at Roland-Garros, once at the US Open).

In the second round, Cazaux will challenge either world No.8 Holger Rune or Japanese Yoshihito Nishioka (61st).