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Alex de Minaur has become the first Australian man since Nick Kyrgios a decade ago to reach the Australian Open quarter-finals.
The world No.8 overcame serving woes for a second straight match to defeat American Alex Michelsen 6-0, 7-6 (7-5), 6-3 to book his fourth grand slam quarter-final in a row but first at Melbourne Park.
Alex de Minaur storms into the quarter-finals.Credit: Getty Images
“It means the world,” de Minaur said. “There is nothing I want to do more than play well here in Australia in front of you guys, so I am glad I finally made it to a quarter-finals here. Let’s go for bigger and better things.”
Awaiting de Minaur is defending champion and world No.1 Jannik Sinner, who has won all nine career meetings with Australia’s best player.
“I’m looking forward to it, obviously,” de Minaur said of the Sinner showdown. “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?”
De Minaur won the first eight games of the match against an erratic Michelsen, who struggled to even keep the ball in court up until then.
Alex de Minaur and Alex Michelsen meet at the net following the Australian’s fourth round win.Credit: AP
The American also had to stave off a break point in the next game, but finally got on the board after 41 minutes and 22 unforced errors.
Michelsen raised his level for the rest of the second set, snatching back the break as de Minaur tried to clinch a two-set lead.
He also grabbed the first mini-break in the tiebreak to threaten to level the match – albeit he gave it straight back – but a point much later proved the difference.
Serving with a 4-5 deficit, de Minaur was almost outside the court as he clipped a crosscourt forehand winner on the run past Michelsen at the net.
The Australian instantly apologised because he had not made the cleanest contact, but it was a crucial one to win.
He followed with an ace before a superb return drew one more error out of Michelsen that clinched him the set.
De Minaur needed only one break in the third set to complete his victory, although he did have to save a break point while serving for his quarter-final spot.
That’s all she wrote.
Thanks for following along with our live coverage of today’s matches. We’ll be back from 10am tomorrow to bring you all the news, drama and updates from the first of our quarter-finals tomorrow.
Until then, stay safe, and enjoy your night.
Alex de Minaur with supporters following his match.Credit: AP
Now to the Alex de Minaur press conference, where he had this to say about his horrific 0-9 match up with Jannik Sinner.
“You know, the great thing about tennis is that once you step out on the court, you both start at 0-0, right? It’s a whole new day, a whole new match, and anything can happen,” de Minaur said.
“Sports is unpredictable. That’s exactly the mindset I’m going to have going into that match. I’m looking forward to it. That’s the matches I want to be playing.
“Ultimately, if there is anything, it’s going to be my first match this whole tournament where I’m the underdog and don’t have all the pressure and expectation of, you know, having to win. So it’s quite exciting, and I’m looking forward to that.”
We’ve just heard from Alex Michelsen in the press room.
Here’s what he had to say when asked how Aled de Minaur stacks up against Michelsen’s other opponents at this tournament – Stefanos Tsitsipas, James McCabe and Karen Kachanov:
Alex Michelsen.Credit: AP
“I think Alex makes a lot more balls than all three of the guys that I played. He doesn’t miss a ball, doesn’t give me anything for free. I think his serve is weaker, and I think that’s about it,” Michelsen said.
“I mean, he’s way faster than all of them, moves better. His backhand is absolute money. Doesn’t miss it. He was hitting his backhand line super well today. I wasn’t, but I knew he wasn’t going to hang with me on that backhand rally, because everybody knows my forehand is weaker. I’m going to change that.
“I think against Sinner he’s going to have to not miss a single ball if he wants a chance because Sinner is just unbelievable. I saw he was struggling today. I don’t know what he had. I don’t know what it was, but he got through it. Not surprising. You know, with the home crowd, I think he definitely has a chance. So we’ll see.”
Let’s have a look at tomorrow’s order of play on Rod Laver Arena, while we wait for Alex de Minaur to come to press.
11:30am: Coco Gauff [3] v Paula Badosa [11]
Not before 2pm: Tommy Paul [12] v Alexander Zverev [2]
Not before 7pm: Aryna Sabalenka [1] v Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova [27]
After 7pm: Novak Djokovic [7] v Carlos Alcaraz [3]
Aryna Sabalenka will headline Rod Laver Arena on Tuesday night.Credit: Eddie Jim
Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic are meeting on the hard court at a grand slam for the first time in the Australian Open quarter-finals tomorrow night.
Asked by Serbian media after his fourth-round victory on Sunday if he would prepare for the match any differently, given the surface, Djokovic said he knew what to expect from Alcaraz.
Carlos Alcaraz with the spoils of his Wimbledon victory over Novak Djokovic last year.Credit: Getty Images
“Of course that, together with [coach] Andy [Murray], I’ll do my homework the best I can, we will analyse his game, especially at this year’s Australian Open. There are differences in how he plays on the hard court compared to other surfaces, and we will try to notice them and find adequate tactical solutions,” Djokovic said in comments reported this evening.
The 10-time Open champion said he was focusing on his own game.
“Most of all, it’s a priority for me and my team that I’m at my peak, because when I move well and hit the ball well, it’s unimportant who’s at the other end of the net,” he said.
“Alcaraz, together with [Alexander] Zverev and [Jannik] Sinner, is the best player in the world. Last year he won two grand slams and defeated me once in a final. I’ve got to know him well by now; we’ve played [against each other] enough times in the past three years and I’ve watched him play often enough to be able to say I know his game well. There won’t be many surprises.”
Alex de Minaur has become the first Australian man since Nick Kyrgios a decade ago to reach the Australian Open quarter-finals.
The world No.8 overcame serving woes for a second straight match to defeat American Alex Michelsen 6-0, 7-6 (7-5), 6-3 to book his fourth grand slam quarter-final in a row but first at Melbourne Park.
Alex de Minaur storms into the quarter-finals.Credit: Getty Images
“It means the world,” de Minaur said. “There is nothing I want to do more than play well here in Australia in front of you guys, so I am glad I finally made it to a quarter-finals here. Let’s go for bigger and better things.”
Awaiting de Minaur is defending champion and world No.1 Jannik Sinner, who has won all nine career meetings with Australia’s best player.
“I’m looking forward to it, obviously,” de Minaur said of the Sinner showdown. “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?”
De Minaur won the first eight games of the match against an erratic Michelsen, who struggled to even keep the ball in court up until then.
Alex de Minaur and Alex Michelsen meet at the net following the Australian’s fourth round win.Credit: AP
The American also had to stave off a break point in the next game, but finally got on the board after 41 minutes and 22 unforced errors.
Michelsen raised his level for the rest of the second set, snatching back the break as de Minaur tried to clinch a two-set lead.
He also grabbed the first mini-break in the tiebreak to threaten to level the match – albeit he gave it straight back – but a point much later proved the difference.
Serving with a 4-5 deficit, de Minaur was almost outside the court as he clipped a crosscourt forehand winner on the run past Michelsen at the net.
The Australian instantly apologised because he had not made the cleanest contact, but it was a crucial one to win.
He followed with an ace before a superb return drew one more error out of Michelsen that clinched him the set.
De Minaur needed only one break in the third set to complete his victory, although he did have to save a break point while serving for his quarter-final spot.
Speaking to Jim Courier after his win, Alex de Minaur spoke about how he felt cracking the quarter-finals for the first time in Melbourne.
“It means the world. I mean, I love you guys too, so much,” de Minaur said.
“There’s nothing I want to do more than play well here in Australia in front of you guys. I’m glad I finally made it to the quarter-finals here, but yeah let’s go for bigger and better things. Come on. ”
Alex de Minaur following his fourth round victory.Credit: Getty Images
It’s de Minaur’s ninth Australian Open main draw appearance, and he said this year’s success was a result of the grind over the past decade.
“My whole career it’s been day by day, it hasn’t been a success overnight, I’ve had to keep improving every year little increments, little percentages,” de Minaur said.
“A little bit more confidence and the consistency always pays off at the end.”
Alex de Minaur’s mum Esther and fiancé Katie Boulter embrace after the match.Credit: Eddie Jim
Speaking of Jannik Sinner’s match earlier, and the match up, de Minaur said his record had to change one day.
“It was an interesting one [Sinner match], that’s for sure. Look, I’m looking forward to it,” he said.
“I’m going to have to do something I haven’t done before, but why not here.”
As he walked off the court, de Minaur had a special message to leave on the camer lens: “No place like home”.
That’s game, set and match on Rod Laver Arena.
Alex de Minaur is through to the Australian Open quarter-finals for the first time in his career.
De Minaur defeated young American Alex Michelsen 6-0, 7-6 (7-5), 6-4 in just over two hours in front of a packed house on centre court.
He will face Jannik Sinner in the quarter-finals, a player he unfortunately has a horrendous 0-9 record against.
