The Sentinel: Jubb overcomes heat and top-ranked Tajima in Neitzel Family Open thriller

Jubb overcomes heat and top-ranked Tajima in Neitzel Family Open thriller

With a stunning final shot, Paul Jubb topped Naoki Tajima in opening-round play at the Neitzel Family Open in Illinois.

#1 seed Paul Jubb playing at the Neitzel Family Open tennis tournament

Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks

Sweat sprays from #1 seed Paul Jubb as he returns a shot over the net during a rally against Noaki Tajima in their first-round match at Atkins Tennis Center. It took Jubb three grueling sets to dispatch Tajima at the Neitzel Family Open on Wednesday.

CHAMPAIGN - Paul Jubb withstood sweltering heat and a surging opponent to punch his ticket to the quarterfinals at the Neitzel Family Open, outlasting ITF world No. 1 Naoki Tajima in three physically demanding sets Wednesday at the Atkins Tennis Center.

With on-court temperatures topping 100 degrees, Jubb, the top seed and ATP world No. 398, opened strong and closed even stronger. The 24-year-old Brit prevailed 6-1, 3-6, 6-2 in a match that tested not only tennis skills but endurance and resilience.

A former NCAA singles champion for South Carolina, Jubb came into the $25,000 ITF World Tour event looking to regain the form that once saw him ranked as high as No. 180 in the ATP last October. He wasted no time asserting control, using aggressive court positioning and clean hitting to dismantle Tajima in the opening set.

Naoki Tajima volleys the ball at the Neitzel Family Open — Noaki Tajima comes to the net for a point in the second set against Paul Jubb. Tajima took the set, grinding out a 6-3 victory.

Tajima, a 23-year-old from Kumamoto, Japan, entered the tournament atop the ITF world rankings with a solid 20-12 record on hardcourts despite preferring clay. After a rough opening set, he adjusted quickly in the second, jumping out to a 3-0 lead. Jubb responded with three games of his own, but Tajima closed the set by winning the next three, forcing a deciding frame.

But the cumulative toll of the match — and the oppressive humidity — began to weigh on Tajima. After leveling the final set at 2-2, his legs and energy began to fade. Jubb stayed composed, rattling off the next four games to secure the win.

Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks

LEFT: Jubb comes to the net for a volley in the third set. RIGHT: Jubb tosses the ball on a serve in the second set. The former NCAA champion was broke twice in the set, losing 6-3.

He sealed the match with a shot worthy of the highlight reel. After Tajima charged the net and hit back-to-back volleys, Jubb sprinted from behind the service line on the ad side to retrieve a ball that landed just inside the service box near the deuce sideline. Stretching his 5-foot-11 frame, he slid into position and whipped a down-the-line passing shot that left onlookers, and Tajima, in awe, closing out the match.

The win advances Jubb to a quarterfinal matchup against American wildcard Maxwell Exsted.

The Neitzel Family Open, formerly known as the Fighting Illini Open, is a USTA Pro Circuit and ITF World Tour men’s tournament first held in 2019. All matches are free and open to the public and are played on the east outdoor courts at the University of Illinois campus unless weather forces a move indoors.