Adam Walton has learned the hard way you can't afford to miss your big opportunities in top-flight tennis as Australia's rising men's hope got a tough lesson at the Miami Open.
Walton, who had battled superbly to get through the qualifiers at the prestigious Masters 1000 event in Florida, was handed the biggest match of his burgeoning career when he was paired with former teen prodigy Felix Auger-Aliassime in Thursday's first round.
The 24-year-old from Brisbane, who's enjoying a breakthrough year to get to No.150 in the world, gave the one-time world No.6 a terrific battle in the opening set, and, when 5-4 up, even worked himself into the position of earning three set points to draw first blood.
