Both Brooksby and McDonald came into this match desperate for a win. Brooksby, ranked 41st, began the day 4-7, while the 125th-ranked McDonald was 8-8 overall, but 1-3 in tour-level matches. On top of that, they’re both coming back from extended absences—Brooksby from a since-overturned suspension; McDonald from multiple injuries.
“I’ve had one good season…I’m not going to give up,” McDonald said after the victory. “That’s where you want to be, that’s where you want to play, that’s where the money’s at, points.”
When I spoke with McDonald last year at Indian Wells, he reiterated that, “If I’m healthy, I think I’m doing pretty good, because I think my results are gonna speak for myself.”
On this gorgeous night at River Oaks Country Club, McDonald’s tennis spoke loudest.
