Budkov Kjaer flying high at junior AO after hits with Medvedev, Sinner
Nicolai Budkov Kjaer hadn’t been in Melbourne more than 10 hours when he found himself practising with Daniil Medvedev on Rod Laver Arena.
Two days later Jannik Sinner was the next top pro to request his services.
For a 17-year-old Norwegian who had not been to Australia before this month, it has been some welcome.
“I landed in the middle of the night and I got the request and I couldn’t of course say no. It was an amazing experience to play with [Medvedev], and also to be on Rod Laver.
So, as the player with the inside track, clearly, who will lift the men’s title on Sunday?
“It’s tough to not say Novak [Djokovic] because he is looking unreal right now but I hope Sinner, it would be a change to have a youngster challenge Novak,” he said.
“Novak is one of, if not the, greatest of all time but many people want to see a new champion.”
It is a given Djokovic and Sinner or whoever lifts the men’s trophy will carry the same grounded perspective on pressure that Budkov Kjaer, the number two seed and highest-ranked player left in the junior boy's draw, brings with him.
“Every person in the tournament can play extremely well so the number beside my name is just a number,” said the Norwegian.
“It doesn’t necessarily mean I win the match so I try to go through every match with the same preparation and try to prepare like I am playing the best ones, as I am. I don’t feel any pressure with the seedings.”
His father Alexander who is travelling with him offers further insight.
“All players here are pretty much the same 64 players who were in Traralgon last week,” he said. "They all know each other but not all can beat all. But on a bad or good day, a lot can happen.”
Budkov Kjaer’s second round opponent on Tuesday afternoon, the qualifier William Rejchtman Vinciguerra from Sweden, is a perfect example of the quality abundant across the juniors.
“He played very good. I didn’t play necessarily badly,” said the Norwegian of the 7-5 6-1 victory.
"I served very well today but he was a bit better from the back than me and he hit some unreal winners with the forehand and kept the ball with some depth at the backhand. So all credit to him but I managed to win somehow.”
Being handed the 3,000 seater 1573 Arena show court was to be embraced, Budkov Kjaer said.
“1573 is an amazing court, one of the biggest I have played on ever so it’s cool to play on the biggest stage. I like it when there is some pressure so it’s nice.
“I love it here, the atmosphere is great and there have been some matches when the crowd is going crazy and sometimes for me and sometimes for an opponent but I like it a bit lively on the courts."
Interestingly for a player with a belter of a serve - 206kmh was his fastest effort today - he says the show-courts are not quite as speedy as their smaller cousins.
“My serve is my biggest weapon so the surface here being quite fast suits my game pretty well so I am pleased with the courts. They are slower than the outside courts. 1573 is fast but not super fast like the outside courts. Court 8 (where he played his first round match) is much faster.
Now safely into the last 16, it is unlikely Budko Kjaer will be seeing too much more of the outside courts at this Australian Open.
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