Janowicz Confidently Stepping into the Spotlight

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Janowicz Confidently Stepping into the Spotlight

By Chris Oddo

(November 1, 2012)—Have you heard of Jerzy Janowicz? If not, consider this your introduction. But if you've been watching the BNP Paribas Masters from Paris, France this week, you need not be introduced.

Janowicz, a ripe and rippling 6’8” 21-year-old from Lodz, Poland, spent most of the year toiling on the challenger circuit in relative obscurity while tennis fans pondered whether or not it was Ryan Harrison, Grigor Dimitrov or Bernard Tomic who was going to be the next big thing.

Maybe it will be Janowicz.

After a hard-fought three set triumph over Andy Murray in Paris today, he’s becoming harder and harder to ignore. “He moves well from the back of the court,” said Murray, when asked to assess Janowicz’s game compared to the other tall players on tour. “He’s maybe a little bit more unpredictable than a few of them [tall players on tour],” he added. “He tried a lot of drop shots and went for winners maybe when he was out of position.”

Going for too much too soon can be a death wish against a player like Murray, but somehow Janowicz pulled it off with aplomb on Thursday. “Today I had nothing to lose,” said Janowicz. “I just basically went for it. I was taking risk with my serve, I was trying to make pressure all the time. Still, actually I don’t believe what happened.”

Playing like you have nothing to lose when you have nothing to lose is one thing. Janowicz’s next challenge will be playing like he‘s a card carrying member of the ATP’s top 60 when there is everything to lose.

The ace-raining youngster has risen in the ATP rankings from 221 in January to a career-high somewhere in the fifties (and possibly higher) next Monday. For most of 2012, Janowicz has plied his trade on the ATP's Challenger circuit to great effect, going 32-9 with titles in Italy, the Netherlands and Poland.

More impressive perhaps was Janowicz's first appearance at Wimbledon this summer. After not dropping a set in qualifying, Janowicz reached the third round before finally bowing out to No. 31-seeded Florian Mayer, 7-5 in the fifth set.

He cracked the top 100 two months later after a Challenger title in the Netherlands, but Janowicz’s efforts in the last few weeks have been even more eye-catching.

In early October he reached the quarterfinals of the Kremlin Cup in Moscow after taking out Benjamin Becker and Carlos Berlocq back-to-back, and this week in Paris, Janowicz has notched his first three career top 20 wins in succession to reach the quarterfinals.

“I don’t know what happened this week,” Janowicz said, a sly grin emanating from his face. “I just came here as a normal player, as a qualifier. I was hoping to just qualify to get some matches.”

Today in Paris, Janowicz pulled his biggest shocker of the season, trouncing Andy Murray in a one-sided third set after saving a match point against the World No. 3 in the second. True to form, the powerful Janowicz pummeled Murray with first serves, hammering 22 aces and winning 54 of 65 first serve points against a player who has made a living off of derailing confident servers with his return game.

But Janowicz proved to be so much more than a one-trick pony in upsetting Murray. Fueled by a passionate optimism, he played courageously, mixing in drop shots, slices, lobs and exhibiting a defensive acumen rarely seen among men his size.

In defeating Murray, the soon-to-be 22-year-old (Birthday Nov. 13) has proven that he can win big matches on big stages against larger than life players like Murray.

It's not a guarantee of bigger, better things for Janowicz--there are no guarantees at this stage of the game--but based on what he's shown the world in 2012, all signs point to a breakout 2013 for the newly anointed Polish No. 1. His confidence is growing, and he's got very few points to defend in the first half of the year.

But more importantly, as was evidenced today in Paris, Janowicz has the je ne sais quoi that cannot be taught--you have to be born with it.

“I did something unbelievable for myself," Janowicz said after the match, when it was all starting to sink in. "This match today -- I have a feeling like I am still dreaming. I beat Andy Murray. It’s for me an unbelievable feeling.”

Janowicz will face Janko Tipsarevic in the quarterfinals on Friday. It could be the last chance to get a seat on the bandwagon. Consider yourselves warned.

(Photo Credit: AP)