Hans Hach wasn’t sitting at home waiting for the phone to ring. He was too busy working on his tennis game to give the U.S. Open extra thought.
As the 14th alternate with doubles partner Andreas Siljestrom, there wasn’t much chance he would get into the tournament … or so he thought.
The Swede has been around longer than Hach, who knew that being 14th alternate wasn’t the best position. He also knew that 10 alternate teams in front of them were from Europe and less likely to take a gamble and fly to New York.
Thus, when Siljestrom called Hach at a Dallas area restaurant last week and told him to catch a flight to New York, the former Abilene Christian University stalwart didn’t hesitate. It turned out to be worth the trip. Hach got his first opportunity to participate in a Grand Slam event.
“It was always my dream to play in a Grand Slam,” said Hach, 28, speaking from New York. “I didn’t care which one. I wanted to compete in a Grand Slam event. I am thrilled it was at the U.S. Open.”
Amazingly, Hach and the lanky, big-hitting Siljestrom did more than just participate in men’s doubles. They put a scare into No. 7-seeds Marcelo Melo and Lukasz Kubot before succumbing 6-3, 7-6 (6-2) in a spirited first-round match.
“I was very happy,” Hach said. “I have played some great tennis over the last three months. I was happy we were able to give them a good match.”
Southpaw Hach with solid groundstrokes and 6-foot-9 right-hander Siljestrom complement each other’s games. Siljestrom, 37, has one of the hardest serves on the circuit and is effective at the net. The duo has done quite well together in 2018, reaching two semifinals.
It’s been a busy year for Hach, who switched to playing doubles full time 1½ years ago. He estimated he has played 25 tournaments in 2018, and has nine more weeks to go before he takes a break.
He was able to catch up with his former coach, Hutton Jones, in New York. Jones said he has been to the Open 20 of 23 times during his tenure as Wildcats’ coach. And he was thrilled for Hach, whom he says is the best player to compete four years at ACU.
“It was really wonderful to see him finally get in a Grand Slam and then to hold his own,” Jones said. “Hopefully, he can establish himself as a top-100 doubles player. I’ve always believed in him. He is such a hard worker.”
Jones remembers Hach as someone who was “fun to coach and yet tough to coach.” Unlike other lesser players that Jones could not reach out to during matches, Hach would often turn to his coach and ask him to assess his game while competing.
“It was always his dream to play pro tennis,” Jones said. “At the same time, he has gone out of his way to stay in touch. To be part of him fulfilling his dream is special to me.”
It will always be special to Hach who hopes there are more Grand Slams to come.
“It was a gamble to be sure,” Hach said of the flight, noting there were still three or four qualifying teams ahead of them. “I figured I would see what happens.”
On his first try, Hach and partner Siljestrom seemed well within their element.
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