When Echuca's Erik Holt-Crossman won his first ATP Tour point in March, he thought it was the beginning of something special.
A first round victory over Japan’s Kento Takeuchi at the Geelong International meant Erik was ready to pack his bags and travel the world.
He lost in the second round to the tournament’s eighth seed – but it didn’t matter.
Erik had served a long and, at times, draining apprenticeship on the fringes of the pro-tennis world but this single ATP point was the key to a whole new future.
For a start it would provide him with entry into satellite tournaments without the grind – and cost – of battling through the qualifiers.
“Getting that point was a massive moment in my career,” Erik said.
“It had been my goal for so long and to achieve it was an incredible relief. I’ve worked so hard to get there.”
But just as suddenly, ‘there’ was nowhere as COVID-19 struck and everything non-essential in the tennis world, in the whole world, was shut down.
Erik’s dream had not exactly gone up in smoke, but it is still locked down in limbo while everyone waits for the pandemic to subside and life gets back to something resembling normal.
A normal world in which an aspiring tennis player with an ATP point can start climbing the stairway to the stars.
But Erik is just frustrated, and still determined to get out that ATP point when the pandemic is over and see what it can really do for him.
“It struck just as everything was kicking off, but I’m even more determined to head overseas when it is all over,” Erik said.
By April, as the pandemic started to take its toll on Victoria, Erik decided it was time to return home to Echuca.
And he was soon being put to work on the family farm by his dad, Paul.
“It was disappointing when I had to come back from Melbourne, but it’s been great to spend an extended period of time with family,” Erik said.
“One of the best things has been that I’ve been able to save money which is something I wouldn’t have been able to do if I went to Europe.
“My plan over there was to work for a month and then play the next.
“Being home will probably help to cover my travelling costs when international travel is allowed again.”
While driving a tractor is a long way from hitting tennis balls for hours on end of practice, Erik said he was thriving in a different environment.
“It’s getting close to harvest season which means we’ve been quite busy the past few weeks,” he said.
“We’re usually working 10 hours every day, but you get used to it pretty quickly. Once we start seeding, the days will probably be a little bit longer.
“I think having work to come back to has made the transition from training with my coach in Melbourne a lot easier.
“But in the back of my mind I am always thinking about when I am going to be able to play again.”
Before coming home, Erik knew he wouldn’t be able to train at the same level he had been in Melbourne – mostly because he didn’t have his coach by his side.
And the facilities simply weren’t the same. When he returned to the family home, he discovered the 10 year old tennis court where his tennis journey began needed quite a bit of work.
“There was a lot of moss and other things over the court because it hadn’t been used in so long,” Erik said.
“I decided to get the pressure washer out and clean it all up. In the end it took me about 40 hours just to get all that stuff off it.
“At the start I don’t think I realised just how big the job was but with the surface clean again I ordered some sand from Rock Solid to help fill in the low spots.
“It also helps to protect the surface because it’s synthetic. It took a lot of work but I’m glad I was able to do it as it has allowed me to practice.”
Erik admits he hasn’t trained as much as he would have liked during the shutdown period, but he does have plans to start a three to four-month block once competition dates are announced.
“I’ve been having a lot of hits for fun more than anything else,” he said.
“There have been a few times where I’ve struggled for motivation because I’m not sure when we are able to play again.
“Dad has jumped on the court with me a few times which has been a lot of fun. When I first came back, and the restrictions weren’t too tough, I was having a hit with my uncle Andrew and cousin Bella (Crossman).
“They’ve both got a lot of talent so that definitely helped me to keep my skills sharp.
“Keeping my fitness levels up has probably been the most challenging aspect and that will be my biggest focus going forward.”
With the pause in play, Erik has also been able to try out different sports, including golf.
And golf has been another of life’s tough lessons because Erik has quickly learnt it can be just as frustrating as his time on the tennis court.
“I’m pretty average on a good day but I think I’m getting better with every round,” Erik said.
“I hadn’t played too much before COVID, but some mates recommended I come out for a hit and I’ve loved it ever since.
“It’s given me another distraction away from tennis, which has given me a good opportunity to reset.”
While some might be devastated tennis and many other sports have been stopped, Erik is continuing to look for the positives.
Even if it might be several months before he is back on the baseline, staring down his next opponent, the man in the way of the next step in his game plan.
“I think starting with a clean slate could be really beneficial for my game,” Erik said.
“I want to change my backhand technique to something similar to (world number one) Novak Djokovic’s because he is someone I look up to.
“My footwork needs a bit of polish as well and I think this time off will give me a good chance to improve it.
“But right now, I’m just going to enjoy my time at home with family and friends.”
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