Bolt gives Australia best start to home Grand Slam in 15 years


  • Tennis
  • Thursday, 17 Jan 2019

MELBOURNE (Reuters) - Three years after digging ditches on building sites during a career crisis of confidence, wildcard Alex Bolt toppled seasoned Frenchman Gilles Simon in the Australian Open second round on Thursday to ensure the host nation's best start in 15 years.

In a bear-pit atmosphere on Court Three, the flamboyant 26-year-old fired a backhand winner down the line to seal a 2-6 6-4 4-6 7-6(8) 6-4 win over the 29th-seeded Frenchman and send local fans into delirium.

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