DARIAN KING is on a high.
Barbados’ top ranked tennis pro has himself a new career-best ranking, having vaulted all the way up to 121 in the world when the new Emirates ATP rankings were released yesterday.
The 24-year-old baseliner jumped ten spots up the ladder, improving on last week’s rank of 131 while going past his previous best of 130 that he reached twice for his career.
It comes as no real surprise as the move was a direct result of King’s historic showing at the just-concluded BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells.
Qualifying for his very first ATP Masters 1000 event, King made the appearance count by beating then world No. 55 Nikoloz Basilashvili 7-5, 7-5 in the first round.
And he didn’t bow out with a whimper either, having shocked the 11th-ranked Gael Monfils in the first set before eventually losing a hard fought 3-6, 6-0, 6-1 second-round affair.
It’s been a phenomenal 2017 season so far for the Bajan ace, who also stunned former world No. 17 Bernard Tomic without dropping a set at the Memphis Open for his first ever ATP 250 win.
Just last week the Philadelphia Freedoms picked King first overall in the Mylan World Team Tennis roster draft after trading up with the New York Empire for the rights to choose the Barbadian player.
King is currently targeting the main draw of another ATP Masters 1000 event after outlasting former world No. 29 Ivan Dodig 6-4, 5-7, 6-0 in the first round of qualifying for the Miami Open yesterday. (JM)