Australian Alex de Minaur makes semi-finals after beating Taylor Fritz
On Thursday, with a sympathetic fan base behind him, the 26-year-old may have scored the most important win of his career when he defeated the big-serving world No. 6 Fritz.
Because even if he doesn’t get any further (he’ll likely face nemesis and home hero Jannik Sinner in the semi-finals) it was a vital confidence booster to remind himself that he can get the job done against the elite.
Alcaraz is in full flight. Credit: Getty Images
Can’t say it came easily. With De Minaur trailing 4-4 and 0-30 on serve in the opening set, Fritz threatened to win the stanza that would knock him out.
Instead, de Minaur took the game, dominated with a superb tiebreak and then controlled a largely one-sided second set to win a Finals match at the sixth attempt after going winless in her first match last year and losing to Alcaraz and Musetti this week.
After his one hour and 34 minute victory, de Minaur looked to the sky and clasped his hands in jubilation before scrawling “Finally” along with a laughing emoji into the courtside TV camera lens.
“I’ve been dealing with some pretty major heartbreak lately. It was nice to finally get a win,” he sighed.
De Minaur defeated Taylor Fritz. Credit: Getty Images
“Whatever the result was today, more than anything, I was at peace with myself. It was okay if the result didn’t go my way. I just wanted to play my way. It felt good to play on my own terms.”
“I was going to leave it all at there and had a really good match from start to finish. It was nice to get a positive reward for that hard work.”
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De Minaur said he was “incredibly lucky to have the support system that I have” and made special mention of his fiancée Katie Boulter, who supported him on the sidelines.
When the interviewer told him that Alcaraz would make it to the last four if he beat Musetti, he said: “Is that really true or not? I don’t know. I don’t trust you right now.”
“Whatever happens, happens, but I won’t pay too much attention to tennis. I’ll just relax and have a nice night here in Turin.”
How nice it was that Alcaraz looked ominously good, completing his third perfect victory of the week in just 83 minutes to become the two-time year-end world No.1.
“I had to deal with my nerves as best I could and I was happy to do it,” said the Spaniard, who had an incredible year with eight titles and two grand slam titles in Paris and New York.
AAP
