Source : ABC NEWS
Alex de Minaur won his match against Zach Svajda at Wimbledon, scoring 6-2 5-7 6-2 6-4 in 2 hours and 41 minutes.
American player Svajda had earned the reputation as the “Aussie slayer” at the French Open earlier this year, where he knocked out both Alexei Popyrin and Adam Walton.
But world number 6 de Minaur held his ground in the third-round Wimbledon clash on Saturday local time, coming out on top in a battle between the two speedy players.
Cheers from the crowd were heard right through the match, with de Minaur enthused by the “Aussie, Aussie, Aussie” chants.
“This almost feels like an Aussie court. It’s been amazing playing on this court.”
Speaking on his opponent, de Minaur called the 23-year-old a “hell of a player”.
“He’s quite awkward, plays great tennis from both sides, he’s got one of the best running cross-court forehands I’ve ever seen.
“I played really well to hang in there.“
The victory will see de Minaur officially reached the second week (Round of 16) of Wimbledon for the third consecutive year.
On Monday, he’ll face either Italy’s French Open finalist Flavio Cobolli or Russia’s twice grand slam semi-finalist Karen Khachanov.
In control, in command
De Minaur controlled the opening set against his young opponent, sealing the set in a one-sided half an hour.
The start of the second set looked to have de Minaur in complete control once more, but Svajda managed to hit straight back.
Svajda managed a set point at 5-4 on de Minaur’s serve, forming a key moment in the competition where he raced to the net to take over control.
Unfortunately for the US player, it wasn’t long before de Minaur broke again to level affairs.
America’s Zach Svajda lost to Australia’s Alex de Minaur despite his reputation as the “Aussie slayer”. (Brian Inganga/AP)
In the third set, de Minaur broke four times and was broken twice in the third set as Svajda began to feel the pace. A medical time out was called, with Svajda needing treatment on his left thigh.
De Minaur stayed in control for the remainder of it all, securing his spot on Monday.
AAP
