People power can do amazing things. It can remove governments, effect social change and in the case of John Millman, help secure him a wildcard into the main draw of the Brisbane International.
Well, kind of.
A fan favourite, there has been a steady campaign for months from a group of Millman fans urging tournament organisers to give him a wildcard into his home ATP/WTA event.
Millman was awarded a wildcard earlier this month, but it was due to the tall Queenslander’s results in the past 12 months, not the barrage of comments left on brisbaneinternational.com.au by Millman’s supporters.
“They’re fantastic, I mean I grew up here and I went to school here and I’ve had some great support and some great family and friends, and hopefully they can get out and watch me … because I love their support.
“In the dark times when you’re travelling the tour they’re the people that keep you going,” Millman explains to brisbaneinternational.com.au.
“In the past two years there has been enormous support for John through the Brisbane International website and then we saw that translate into the huge support he had at Pat Rafter Arena in 2010,” says Tournament Director Steve Ayles.
“No doubt he’ll be just as popular this year.”
This is the second year Millman has played in the main draw here. In 2010 he faced then defending champion and second seed Radek Stepanek in a Pat Rafter Arena spectacular.
Predictably Millman was the overwhelming crowd favourite.
“When I walked out there I was really nervous but once you get out there and you’ve got 5500 people going for you, I think there was only one person in the crowd going for him and that was his coach, but it was an unbelievable experience,” smiles Millman.
It was an experience that the likeable Queenslander says he drew on throughout 2010 and will return to again as he prepares for his first-round match at Brisbane International 2011.
And if all goes well, Millman, who is currently ranked 204 in the world, says he hopes a spot in the top 100 isn’t too far away.
“Obviously my aim is to get inside the top 100 and hopefully I can start it off with a good tournament here and to hopefully go a bit further than I did last time.”