Alex de Minaur’s quest to make an impression on the Australian Open has begun easily with a straight-sets win over Taiwanese qualifier Yu Hsiou Hsu throughout a chaotic day two at Melbourne Park.
Key factors:
- De Minaur triumphed 6-2, 6-2, 6-3
- He’ll subsequent face John Isner or Adrian Mannarino
- De Minaur is Australia’s top-ranked participant within the males’s draw after Nick Kyrgios’s withdrawal
Play on the surface courts was suspended for nearly three hours within the afternoon after event organisers have been compelled to implement their excessive warmth coverage, earlier than rain wreaked havoc through the night.
The moist climate noticed de Minaur and Hsu briefly go away the court docket on John Cain Area whereas the roof was closed, nevertheless it was nothing however a bump within the street for the energetic Australian, who triumphed 6-2, 6-2, 6-3 to achieve the second spherical.
He’ll subsequent face both veteran American John Isner or France’s Adrian Mannarino.
The night rain pissed off de Minaur’s fellow Australian Thanasi Kokkinakis, whose match in opposition to Italian Fabio Fognini on the surface courts was suspended near midnight AEDT.
The match was already not on time when the 2 gamers acquired on court docket earlier than a number of rain delays left them hanging, with Kokkinakis on the verge of victory, main 6-1, 6-2, 4-2.
Kokkinakis and Fognini will end their encounter on Wednesday afternoon together with a bunch of different matches that have been suspended due to the rain.
De Minaur is now the top-ranked native within the males’s draw following Nick Kyrgios’s withdrawal attributable to a knee harm, but when he’s feeling any strain, it was not evident on Tuesday evening.
Granted, he was closely favoured to beat the 209th-ranked Hsu, nevertheless it was nonetheless a assured show as he seeks to achieve week two at Melbourne Park for the second consecutive yr.
De Minaur’s trademark velocity across the court docket was on present, whereas the world quantity 24 managed factors with strong groundstrokes and an efficient serving efficiency.
The 23-year-old landed eight aces for the match, solely served one double fault and allowed Hsu only a single break level, which went unconverted.
A double break helped de Minaur declare the primary set and he repeated the dose within the second as he edged in the direction of victory.
With mentors Lleyton Hewitt and Tony Roche watching on from the stands, de Minaur broke Hsu within the opening recreation of the third set, earlier than doing sufficient to seal the lead to a tick over two hours.
“I do know that at occasions I’ve acquired some strain on myself to ship,” de Minaur advised his post-match media convention.
“I take it with pleasure in the end. Now, right here at a grand slam [tournament], we’re within the second spherical.
“There’s nonetheless a protracted, lengthy method to go. I strive to take a look at it extra as me individually and attempt to deal with my targets and get as deep as I can.
“That is the plan. That is the purpose. Get deep, get pleasure from myself, and preserve getting higher day-after-day.”
De Minaur arrived in Melbourne following a combined United Cup marketing campaign for Australia. A loss to world quantity 14 Cameron Norrie was adopted up with a win over Rafael Nadal, his first over the 22-times main winner.
Hypothesis of a rift with Kyrgios doesn’t appear to be affecting de Minaur’s focus, though there might be no probability of him flying underneath the radar now his high-profile countryman is on the sidelines.
De Minaur made the fourth spherical finally yr’s Australian Open, his greatest end to this point at Melbourne Park.
