Conor Niland arrived back in Ireland on Sunday afternoon and will spend a few days on home soil before jetting out this weekend to begin his preparations for next week’s French Open.
“I’m very satisfied, very happy and feeling brilliant,” Conor Niland said.
“In terms of trying to make it into the top 100 players in the world this win in Israel was huge for me. In one week I jumped from 220th or so in the world to 160th. Now, with so much of the year left, I can make a real push to get into the top 100. I’m knocking on the door now and I intend to keep working hard.
“I really feel like I’ve gone up a level and I’m feeling a bit more confident. A couple of years ago I was beating highly-ranked players, but I lacked the confidence to do it on a regular basis and to close out games against top players.
“Now it’s different, but I have to back this win up and keep up that level of play.”
Although Conor Niland came within a couple of points of playing in the Australian Open first round proper in Melbourne this win represents a huge breakthrough for the 28-year-old Mungret man.
Conor Niland calimed victory in the final of the ATF Challenger Tour Israel Open when he beat Brazilian Thiago Alves (the tournament’s number four seed and ranked 116th in the world). Conor Niland was in scintillating form and although he lost the first set 5-7 he stormed back to win the concluding sets 7-6, 6-3.
Conor Niland earned his place in the final of the outdoor hard court event when the Limerick man performed a semi-final demolition of Germany’s Denis Gremelmayr 7-5, 6-1 in just one hour and 27 minutes. In the quarter-finals Niland took on home favourite Harel Levy. Levy, ranked inside the top 100, was no match for the Limerick man. Once more Niland’s determination was tested when he lost the first set 2-6, but he fought back manfully to win the concluding sets 6-4, 6-2.
The Limerick man suggested that he was in the form of his life when beating the former world number five Rainer Schuettler from Germany to force his way into the last eight. In a nail-biting encounter, which lasted two hours and 31 minutes, Niland saw off the former Grand Slam finalist 7-5, 4-6, 6-4.
The significance of that win is illustrated by the fact that the German reached the final of the 2003 Australian Open where he was defeated by Andre Agassi while in 2008 he reached the semi-finals at Wimbledon before losing to the eventual champion Spain’s Rafael Nadal.
Conor Niland has been in the form of his life this season. In the early part of the year he came within a couple of points of qualifying in Doha and also at the Australian Open in Melbourne. He also reached the main draw of the US Men’s Claycourt Championships in Houston and last month he achieved a career-high ATP World ranking of 222nd following success on the ATP Challenger Tour in Jersey.
Now Conor Niland turns his attention to qualifying for the French Open. Niland’s long-standing ambition has been to play in the first round proper of a Grand Slam event and considering his form the Limerick man has every chance of making an impressive at Roland Garros.
“I think I have a pretty decent chance,” a confident Conor Niland agreed.
“The qualifiers for the French Open can be tough because there are a lot of clay court specialists out there.
“Personally I wouldn’t look at the French Open as my best opportunity, but I can’t deny that I’m performing well and that I’m playing well enough to qualify. There’s a possibility that I will be seeded in next week’s qualifiers as well so that might give me an opportunity to get a win under my belt. I will rest this week, fly out to France next weekend and then hope to make an impression in the qualifiers next week.”
BRIAN McDONNELL
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