Gijs Brouwer failed to reach the final of the challenger tournament in New Caledonia, a group of islands in the Pacific Ocean. The tennis player from Venhuizen, West Frisian, lost in three sets to the Frenchman Enzo Couacaud 3-6 7-6 (8) 6-4.
Brouwer won well in the quarter-finals against the Frenchman Richard Gasquet, who was seeded first in Nouméa. In the semi-final battle, despite winning the first set, he fell just short. Couacaud, number 210 in the world, took the second set in an exciting tie-break, after which the Frenchman also took the last and decisive set.
The tournament in Nouméa serves as a preparation tournament for the Australian Open, which starts on January 14. Brouwer, number 162 in the world, will play the qualifications there.
Far from home
Many top tennis players now travel to Oceania because of the Australian Open. The 27-year-old Brouwer is therefore very far from home at the moment. As the crow flies, it is more than 16,000 kilometers between Venhuizen and New Caledonia.