With a Throwback Style, He’s Charging Forward

“I misplaced each time,” he mentioned. “I didn’t need to attempt once more.”

And but, amid all this net-play pessimism, there’s Cressy, all 6-foot-6 of him, plus the mop of soiled blond curls that provides him an additional inch or two. He is available in behind his first serve, his second serve and on his opponent’s serve, every time he senses an opportunity. He is available in after each shortish ball he sees and even after his opponent passes him on three consecutive factors. He believes in serve-and-volley with the fervor of a cult member, even when it’s a cult of 1.

“This model can take me to the highest,” he mentioned after a first-round loss on the French Open, and when he says “the highest,” he means the No. 1 rating. In spite of everything, that loss was on clay, which has lengthy been kryptonite to serve-and-volleyers.

Cressy has been battling typical knowledge for a decade, making an attempt to grasp the serve-and-volley since he was a promising junior participant in France. France’s tennis federation principally advised him to chop it out, as if he have been goofing off throughout apply. If that was the best way he was going to play, they didn’t need a lot to do with him. Cressy wouldn’t budge.

“I beloved it,” he mentioned Tuesday night time after knocking off Auger-Aliassime, the sixth-seeded Canadian and a stylish dark-horse at Wimbledon, 6-7 (5), 6-4, 7-6 (9), 7-6 (5). He’ll play one other American, Jack Sock, within the second spherical on Thursday. “Whether it is one thing I really like, I would as nicely do it and make it as environment friendly as doable.”

Cressy educated at an academy throughout his final yr in highschool and was recruited to play at U.C.L.A., the place coaches noticed some potential for him in doubles. They have been right, and he grew to become a collegiate doubles champion in 2019.

However Cressy by no means stopped believing in the concept that his sport was ignoring a method that might be extremely environment friendly for a singles participant with a giant serve, a capability to maneuver, unflappable confidence and a willingness to dash, scurry, bend, crouch, squat and stretch for balls earlier than they land. Therefore the sore rear finish after Tuesday’s match.