Kellerman dumped on debut
AUSTRALIA’s only Jewish representative in the men’s wheelchair tournament at the Australian Open Adam Kellerman went down in his grand-slam debut 6-4, 6-3 to seventh seed Stefan Olsson from Sweden last week.
AUSTRALIA’s only Jewish representative in the men’s wheelchair tournament at the Australian Open Adam Kellerman went down in his grand-slam debut 6-4, 6-3 to seventh seed Stefan Olsson from Sweden last week.
“I felt pretty confident going in and I was actually pretty disappointed with how I played,” Kellerman told The AJN. “As I’ve been playing more and more, I’ve definitely felt more comfortable playing [the top players] as time goes on.
“When I first started I would play them and get blown off the court, but now I feel like I’m actually competing with them and they don’t really want to get me in a draw either.”
The 22-year-old then went on to partner with Olsson in the double’s competition, where they lost 6-0, 6-1.
In the singles event, Kellerman won his way through to the main draw after defeating fellow Aussie Ben Weekes in the wildcard playoff earlier in the week, and by playing on home soil he couldn’t have asked for a better location to kick off his grand-slam career.
“It’s always been a dream to play in a grand slam,” Kellerman said. “It was really good to have a nice crowd there and play in front of a lot of Australians.”
But to get to the main draw was all he could ask for, and now that he knows what it takes to get there, he has set himself the goal of cracking the top 10 within the year and earning automatic entry in the grand-slam events.
“I was very proud of the fact I made it to the main draw, definitely,” he said. “My goal for this year is to break the top 10. It’s a tough goal, [but] I like to set my goals pretty high so I really strive to get the best out of myself.
“And I think it’s realistic, obviously it’s going to take a lot of hard work and I need a lot of support and I actually need some sponsorship to help me get there.”
Kellerman is calling on businesses or individuals to help fund his world tour, which is a vital aspect if he is to succeed at the top level. “Wheelchair tennis is an expensive sport to play, and without the sponsors I wouldn’t be able to compete at the level I do.
“I’m looking for more sponsors now to help me through the 2013 season. I’m ranked in the top 20 for the first time and competing worldwide,” Kellerman said.
ASHLEY SHENKER AT MELBOURNE PARK
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