Ireland's Sorensen makes history at Australian Open

Posted: Tuesday 19th January 2010 | 9:17

James Toney Sportsbeat

AS tennis outposts go Melbourne Park's court 14 might as well be in Ireland - but Louk Sorensen did his best to make it a home from home (even though he lives in Stuttgart).

HISTORIC WIN: Louk Sorensen claimed Ireland's first-ever Grand Slam victory in Melbourne (Getty Images)

Sandwiched between a farm of satellite dishes and the main tram line into the city centre, more experienced players would view this square of rebound ace as a blot on the landscape.

There is no television coverage and, at one point, the scoreboard broke down. If there were potholes in the court and holes in the net, you wouldn't have been surprised.

But Sorensen didn't care about the salubriousness of the stage as he brushed aside Taiwan's Lu Yen-Hsun to become the first Irish player to win a Grand Slam match, progressing 6-4, 3-6, 6-2, 6-1.

The 25-year old, the son of Irish Davis Cup captain Sean Sorensen - who was beaten by Rod Laver in the first round at Wimbledon 33 years ago - might not sound very Irish.

He was raised in Germany and although his parents now live in Dublin, he still trains there and plays men's club tennis in the German tennis league's third division.

Ranked 284 in the world, he will receive a major boost for his win over Yen-Hsun, placed just outside the world's top 100.

"You just need a bit of a luck," he said, without adding in the typical cliche, seemingly used by default whenever there is Irish sporting success.

"It's the biggest achievement of my career so far and it means so much. But it's hard to understand what is going on right now - I don't usually do a press conference after my matches.

"I've had loads of support from back home and I'm going through all these friend requests on Facebook. It's incredible and I'm loving the experience."

Sorensen - the first Irish player to reach a Grand Slam in a quarter of a century - is determined to soak up the atmosphere of his appearance.

The first Slam of the season is half a world away from home and a whole universe removed from the Challenger and Future circuits where Sorensen plies his trade - a tennis school of hard knocks that would sap for the enthusiasm for the sport from all but the most committed.

"It's certainly different, but I love what I do so I'm not complaining," added Sorensen.

"Tennis is in my blood. My father and brother played and he met my mother at a tennis tournament.

"I'm enjoying the experience because I know in a few weeks I'll be back on the Challengers."

Sorensen, one of the shortest men in the draw, will now face one of the tallest- big-serving American John Isner.

While others may have members of their coaching staff scouting future opponents - and a library of video footage, Sorensen's preparations will be more low-key.

"Obviously I know the name and he's the highest ranked player I've ever faced but I don't know much about him, apart from his serve," he added.

"I'm going to spend a few hours checking him out on You Tube."

Here's a starter Louk, Isner giving an analysis on his own serve. Good luck.