Five things to know: Cressy set for Aussie Open debut

Maxime Cressy is settling into the Melbourne bubble after he booked his ticket into the Australian Open's main draw. The 23-year-old won three qualifying matches in Doha, with his last victory coming against veteran Dustin Brown.

Before the 23-year-old heads into his second main draw Grand Slam showing of his career, let's get to know him a little better:

1

Though he represents the United States, the world No. 168 was born in Paris on May 8, 1997. He currently resides in Hermosa Beach, Calif. after spending four years playing for UCLA. He stands out for his height (6'7") as well as his grunt.

2

During his college career, Cressy was an All-American, reaching as high as No. 17 in singles and No. 1 in doubles. He won the doubles NCAA Championship with Keegan Smith during his senior year in 2019.

3

Also in 2019, the French-American won an ITF singles title and followed it with his biggest crown yet, an ATP Challenger 90 (he also claimed two ATP Challenger doubles titles). In 2020, he won another ATP Challenger in Drummondville and reached the final the following week in Calgary.

4

His first Grand Slam main draw appearance was at last year's fan-less US Open after he was granted a wild card. He pulled out a tough win against Jozef Kovalik in his debut and then fall to world No. 6 Stefanos Tsitsipas in straight sets.

5

There's something to be noted when it comes to Cressy's grunt and his serve. The former can frustrate opponents, while the latter can be deadly when it goes in, though sometimes it's hard for Cressy to find the box: In his three matches in Doha, he hit 51 aces and 22 double faults.