Australian tenth seed Alex de Minaur has ensured his sixth third-round exhibiting in New York following a straight-sets ledger towards Finland’s Otto Virtanen.
30 August 2024 | Tennis Australia
Alex de Minaur’s return from a Wimbledon hip harm is gathering momentum after accounting for Finland’s Otto Virtanen within the US Open second spherical.
Following a good opening set, the Australian 10th seed, aided partially by a decrease again harm to the qualifier, lifted for a 7-5 6-1 7-6(3) win.
The 2-hour, 17-minute end result secured his sixth third-round look at Flushing Meadows in seven years and a conflict towards Argentine Mariano Navone or Brit Dan Evans.
“Didn’t have my better of begins; he’s a tough opponent,” De Minaur instructed Stan Sports activities. “He takes the racquet out of [your hand] .He began off at a really excessive degree.
“I took some time to get into the match. I simply stayed with it, stayed constructive. I instructed myself I’d have possibilities and comfortable that I used to be capable of flip it round.”
One in every of eight Australian males by way of to the second spherical – probably the most since 1976 – the nation’s spearhead continued a powerful day for his compatriots.
The very best-ranked unseeded participant within the males’s draw, Jordan Thompson, bagged a straight-sets victory over seventh-seeded Pole Hubert Hurkacz – his maiden top-10 win at a significant – whereas Chris O’Connell equalled his career-best Grand Slam run after his win over Italian qualifier Mattia Bellucci.
> READ: O’Connell units showdown with world No.1 in US Open third spherical
Solely six weeks in the past, De Minaur’s Wimbledon marketing campaign was derailed after he picked up a hip cartilage tear in his fourth-round Wimbledon victory over Arthur Fils, which led to his withdrawal forward of a quarterfinal towards Novak Djokovic.
He contested one doubles match alongside Alexei Popyrin on the Paris 2024 Olympics however had not returned to singles motion till his opening-round four-set victory over American Marco Giron.
“It appears like I haven’t performed tennis shortly and I haven’t performed matches shortly,” De Minaur stated. “The physique by no means forgets. It’s a disgrace, however day-after-day I’m feeling just a little bit higher.
“It’s all about making an attempt to my greatest with the physique in the meanwhile, making an attempt to ensure I’m considerably able to play the next matches. It’s a variety of tennis being performed, which I haven’t been capable of do for a very long time…
“I really feel one thing there. It’s clearly not as fluid as I wish to be shifting on the market. I’m lacking on my sliding back and forth, which I can’t actually do in the meanwhile, however we carry on going.”
The 25-year-old reeled off 5 straight video games to steal the opening set from a quick-starting Virtanen earlier than the Finn, down a break at 1-2 within the second set, signalled to the chair umpire he required remedy for a again drawback.
The second set was a write-off, however the world No.125 caught with De Minaur as neither participant faltered on serve within the third set.
Three hefty first serves from Virtanen – one at match level down –compelled the tiebreak after the conflict had handed the two-hour mark earlier than Australia’s No.1 closed it out on his fourth alternative.
Aussies in motion – US Open
RESULTS
Males’s singles, second spherical
[10] Alex de Minaur (AUS) d [Q] Otto Virtanen (FIN)
Jordan Thompson (AUS) d [7] Hubert Hurkacz (POL) 7-6(2) 6-1 7-5
Chris O’Connell (AUS) d [Q] Mattia Bellucci (ITA) 6-3 6-4 3-6 6-3
Nuno Borges (POR) d Thanasi Kokkinakis (AUS) 6-4 7-5 7-5
> READ: Thompson stuns world No.7 Hurkacz at US Open 2024
COMING UP
Males’s singles, second spherical
Max Purcell (AUS) v [14] Tommy Paul (USA)
[WC] Tristan Schoolkate (AUS) v Jakub Mensik (CZE)
Males’s singles, third spherical
[28] Alexei Popyrin (AUS) v [2] Novak Djokovic (SRB)
Chris O’Connell (AUS) v [1] Jannik Sinner (ITA)
Jordan Thompson (AUS) v [30] Matteo Arnaldi (ITA)
[10] Alex de Minaur (AUS) v TBC
> VIEW: US Open 2024 males’s singles draw
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