From world 114 to 18: Karatsev now in the big three at the Australian Open

A year ago, Aslan Karatsev was an unknown qualifier; in 2022 he joins Diego Schwartzman and Denis Shapovalov as one of three Jewish-born men's players in the top 20

THIS TIME LAST year, Russian journeyman Aslan Karatsev was an unknown. Within two weeks he had become the first male qualifier ever to make the semi-finals in his debut at a Grand Slam.

He starts this year’s tournament as the 18^th seed and at the time of publication, the man who beat him in the semi-finals last year, Novak Djokovic, is not even assured of participating.

The 2022 Australian Open begins on Monday amid unprecedented drama, and for the first time in recent memory, three men’s players with a Jewish background are in the Top 20.

Karatsev, aged 28, is the 18^th seed; Argentina’s pocket dynamo Diego Schwartzman, aged 29, is seeded 13^th and Canadian young gun Denis Shapovalov, 22, is seeded 14^th.

Karatsev’s semi-final run in Melbourne kickstarted a breakout year for the Israeli-born player: After 10 years of struggling on the circuit, he won his first two singles titles, defeated the World’s Number 1 and 2 players, Djokovic and Daniil Medvedev.

He also reached the final of mixed doubles in the French Open and Tokyo Olympics, losing both times with his partner, Elena Vesnina.

His sensational rise saw him seeded number one at this week’s Sydney Classic lead-up tournament to the Open, where he reached the semi-finals at the time of publication.

In Melbourne, If Karatsev can get past the 10^th seed, Poland’s Hubert Hurkacz (conqueror of Roger Federer at Wimbledon last year), he will face Rafael Nadal in the fourth round.

In the same side of the draw, the temperamental Shapovalov is blessed with attacking flair and a flowing one-handed backhand that make him a crowd favourite, even when he loses his temper. Shapovalov has bounced back from testing positive to Covid on his arrival in Australia, and helped guide Canada to an unlikely victory in the ATP Cup teams event last week.

Shapovalov won both his singles and partnered with another talented young gun, Felix Auger Aliassime, to win a crucial doubles tie against the Russian pair. His intensity and shot-making visibly lifted the team morale and his form sent a clear signal that on his day, he can give anyone a run.

Shapovalov was born in Israel, to a Jewish-Russian mother and Greek Orthodox father, who then migrated to Canada. In addition to their shared Jewish-Russian ancestry, Shapovalov and Karatsev were both coached by the same man as juniors in Israel, Oded Jacob.

Jacob, who also moved to Canada to coach its junior players, is one man who is not surprised by Karatsev’s success during the past 12 months. When The Jewish Independent interviewed him last year, he predicted the Russian “will be in the top 30 or 40 and get results on most surfaces. It doesn’t mean he will make semis in every event but he will be up there. That’s realistic”.

What would Jacob make of the third member of the Jewish Top 20 triumvirate?

Schwartzman, aged 29, who was ranked as high as 8 in 2020), also enters the pen in good form, having upset the Greek golden boy Stefanos Tsitsipas, ranked 4^th in the world, in the ATP cup.

Schwartzman won a singles title on his home turf of Buenos Aires last year; he has reached the quarter-finals of a grand slam five times, and made the semis in Paris in 2020.

Schwartzman has a kinder draw than the other two; if he reaches the third round his opponent will be the US giant and big-serving John Isner, who stands 2.08 metres high, which makes him a whopping 38 cm taller than Schwartzman.

Regardless of the result, it will be something to see them standing side by side. However, if the Argentine does win, as he should on form, he will face Medvedev in the fourth round. The Russian is also towering, at 1.98 metres, but will seem short to Schwartzman after facing Isner.

Main image: From left, Denis Shapovalov (Canada), Aslan Karatsev (Russia), Diego Schwartzman (Argentina)