Alex de Minaur relishes the problem that awaits when he faces world No.1 Jannik Sinner in his maiden Australian Open quarterfinal look.
Melbourne, Australia, 21 January 2025 | Gillian Tan
There can be a way of event when Alex de Minaur walks onto Rod Laver Area on Wednesday, bathed in an electrical ambiance and near-guaranteed ovation from 15,000 followers.
The 25-year-old, competing in his eighth Australian Open, is accustomed to the long-lasting courtroom however when he steps as much as the baseline, it’ll be for his first quarterfinal at Melbourne Park.
The lightning quick right-hander, who has dropped a sole set through the event, is thrilled to have achieved one other profession milestone: an entire assortment of final eight appearances in any respect 4 Grand Slams, and bragging rights as solely the fifth Australian man within the Open Period to succeed in 4 consecutive main quarterfinals.
> READ: De Minaur joins elite firm at Australian Open 2025
However the eight seed’s overarching mission is way from full.
A maiden main, which might finish a drought for Australian males’s tennis that dates again to Lleyton Hewitt’s 2002 Wimbledon title and on the AO, Mark Edmondson’s 1976 crown, is a key purpose for Demon.
“You’re not that far off from the massive title,” Hewitt, his Davis Cup captain, has mentioned.
First, a large hurdle looms. Demon’s quarterfinal opponent is none apart from high seed Jannik Sinner, the AO defending champion whose red-hot kind, particularly on onerous courts, led him to seize a second Grand Slam title on the US Open final September. The Italian amassed a season-leading 73-6 win-loss document that included six titles along with his two majors.
“Jannik is a hell of a participant,” mentioned De Minaur, who practised with the 23-year-old this fortnight.
Whereas he carries a 0-9 head-to-head document towards the favored redhead, Demon plans to give attention to the duo’s battle within the Rotterdam remaining final yr, which he misplaced 7-5 6-4.
“I used to be bodily at 100 per cent, and I feel that was fairly a superb battle with alternatives right here and there,” recalled the Australian, who had six probabilities to interrupt Sinner throughout that match.
De Minaur, who plans to determine any weaknesses the Italian has demonstrated this fortnight, gained’t let the previous marinate in his thoughts for too lengthy.
“The wonderful thing about tennis is that after you step out on the courtroom, you each begin at 0-0, proper? It’s a complete new day, a complete new match, and something can occur,” mentioned the 25-year-old, who’s trying ahead to the problem.
> READ: De Minaur into first Australian Open quarterfinal
Demon, whose motion and noticeably larger serve are big property, will take in the assist from what guarantees to be a vocal crowd. He’ll search to check Sinner’s capacity to reply bodily after the Italian’s admission that he was not 100 per cent throughout his win over Holger Rune on Monday.
“It’s going to be my first match this complete event the place I’m the underdog and don’t have all of the strain and expectation of getting to win,” mentioned the world No. 8, at present two spots behind his career-high No. 6.
“Sports activities is unpredictable, [and] that’s precisely the mindset I’m going to have.
“There’s nothing I wish to do greater than play nicely right here in Australia.”
Demon’s quarterfinal shouldn’t be missed, however don’t overlook to catch different Aussies in motion on Day 11 on the Australian Open together with John Friends and Olivia Gadecki’s combined doubles semifinal towards New Zealand’s Erin Routliffe and Michael Venus, or Emerson Jones’ third spherical conflict with Yuliya Perapekhina.
Discover your method to play: Go to play.tennis.com.au to hit the courtroom and have some enjoyable!
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