- De Minaur advances to US Open quarterfinals
- The Australian tennis star defeated his compatriot Jordan Thompson
Alex de Minaur beat his great friend Jordan Thompson in a titanic fourth-round Australian clash at the US Open to mark another significant milestone in his stellar Grand Slam season.
De Minaur put friendship aside to end Thompson’s blistering Open campaign with a hard-fought 6-0 3-6 6-3 7-5 victory and become the first Australian since Lleyton Hewitt 20 years ago to reach three consecutive Grand Slam quarter-finals.
With his stock rising with each victory, the 10th seed next faces English world number 25 Jack Draper on Wednesday (Thursday AEST) in an Ashes-style battle for a coveted last-four spot.
Having arrived in New York with low expectations regarding her fitness, De Minaur has regained her confidence and form to quietly advance towards the title fight.
Moving freely and showing no signs of the hip injury that shattered his Olympic and Wimbledon dreams, De Minaur showed little mercy toward his childhood friend and Davis Cup teammate on Monday.
Thompson fought tooth and nail and threatened to take the match to a deciding set before De Minaur’s class and tenacity eventually prevailed.
Thompson was forced to bounce his racket off the court in frustration as he suffered the ignominy of a bagel in the first set.
And even after Thompson finally won a game and then broke from 40-0 down to take the second set, de Minaur didn’t miss a beat and quickly got back to work on Labor Day in the United States.
Alex de Minaur (pictured) produced his best performance of the tournament to beat Australian Jordan Thompson in the fourth round of the US Open
De Minaur put friendship aside to end Thompson’s enthusiastic Open campaign with a well-deserved 6-0, 3-6, 6-3, 7-5 victory
The Frenchman, a Wimbledon player and now US Open quarter-finalist, regained control to take a two-sets-to-one lead and there was more racket-slamming and box-slamming from Thompson as he felt the match slipping away.
Making one last stand, Thompson broke serve early in the fourth set and raised hopes of a famous underdog comeback.
But there was nothing friendly about De Minaur’s immediate counter-attack before he eventually subdued Thompson after a four-break fourth set to claim victory after two hours and 57 minutes.
“I have a lot of respect for ‘Thommo’. We grew up together. He’s been like an older brother to me,” de Minaur said.
“I really appreciate everything he’s done for me. He’s a great competitor, my Davis Cup teammate and I can’t wait to share the court with him many, many times.”
Despite all the exploits of Thompson and Novak Djokovic’s first-week victor Alexei Popyrin, de Minaur is once again the last Australian man standing at the season’s final major.
Thompson (pictured) managed to get back into the match and tie the game at one set apiece.
The standard-bearer’s feat of reaching three consecutive Grand Slam quarter-finals is something that eluded even former world number one Ash Barty and former US Open women’s champion Samantha Stosur during their distinguished careers.
No Australian has achieved this since Hewitt in 2004-05.
The two-time major winner followed his quarter-final runs at Roland Garros and Wimbledon with advances to successive finals at Flushing Meadows and Melbourne Park.
“Look, it’s just the mentality. My positive attitude, no matter what happens,” said the warrior who plays from the baseline.
“I try to play every point, I try to win every point and I always compete with all my heart.”
Having also become the first Australian since Hewitt two decades ago to reach the second week of all four major tournaments in a calendar year, de Minaur will now hope to further emulate his captain’s Davis Cup achievements in 2001 and 2004 by reaching the final on Sunday.
De Minaur is the first Australian in almost 20 years to advance to three consecutive Grand Slam quarter-finals.
He has a golden opportunity, as De Minaur has won all three previous meetings with Draper, including the last two on hard courts.
If he can continue his march through the draw, De Minaur will face either world number one Jannik Sinner, 2021 US Open champion Daniil Medvedev or 14th seed Tommy Paul in his first Grand Slam semi-final.
While it’s the end of the road for Thompson, the 30-year-old will leave the Big Apple with a half-million-dollar payday and a career ranking of No. 29 in the world to put him on track to earn his first Grand Slam seeding at the Australian Open in January.