Source :- PERTH NOW NEWS
Alex de Minaur has booked a blockbuster quarter-final with world No.1 and defending champion Jannik Sinner after reaching the last eight of Australian Open for the first time.
Looking to end a 49-year drought since Australia celebrated a local men’s winner, de Minaur lodged a convincing 6-0 7-6 (7-5) 6-3 victory over rising American Alex Michelsen on Monday night.
“It means the world. There’s nothing I want t do more than play well in Australia,” the 25-year-old said in his on-court interview.
“I’m glad I’ve finally made it to the quarter-finals here. Let’s go for bigger and better things – come on.”
As well as his first quarter-final at Melbourne Park, the win ticked off a number of career milestones.
De Minaur is the first local into the last eight since Nick Kyrgios in 2015 and the first Australian to make four consecutive grand slam quarter-finals since Lleyton Hewitt surged all the way to the 2005 Australian Open title match.
But a giant challenge looms in the form of defending champion and world No.1 Sinner, who de Minaur hasn’t beaten in nine attempts and not even taken a set off since 2020.
“I’m looking forward to it, obviously,” said Australia’s world No.8.
“It’s going to be an incredibly tough match and I’m going to have to do something I haven’t done before. But why not start here?”
