Title favorite Dominic Tim ended Alex de Minor’s US Open campaign ruthlessly with a landslide victory in the quarter-finals in New York. Tim needed a two-hour mark to send Australia the last hope with a 6-2 6-1 6-4 win that further confirmed the 27-year-old’s credentials.
Runner-up for Novak Djokovic in a controversial five-set final at the Australian Open in January, the world number 3 Theme is the highest-ranked player in the draw. He will then meet third-seeded Russian Daniel Medvedev and final 2019 on Saturday to book his place in the final for the first time at Flushing Meadows.
De Minor will be disappointed with his Grand Slam debut in the quarter-finals, but he has to quickly pick up the pieces and turn his attention to this year’s second major tournament, the French Open which has been rescheduled from September 27th. The 21-year-old will be Australia’s best hope at the Roland Garros clay courts after world number one Ashley Partey chose this week not to defend her title during the coronavirus pandemic.
De Minaur is expected to climb one place in the world rankings to No. 27 in the world after improving his career as the best Grand Slam in one round in New York.
He said, “I hope with the coming years that I will become bigger, stronger, and my body will grow a little more, then it will be just another level.” However, I don’t want to wait these two years. I want to apply as quickly as possible.
“I will do my best to continue putting myself in these situations. I’m not satisfied with where I am. This is where I want to be, but I’m not satisfied with coming here and going quarters anymore. I want to keep pushing.”
He hoped to go toe-to-toe with Thiem – and at times he did – but the main player to make it to the French Open finals twice were just too strong. De Minaur was able to compete early on, with the pair trading three service breaks in their first four matches. But he missed a golden opportunity to stay in the first set after he allowed Tim to hold on to Love 40 and lead 4-1.
The third security theme of the group has been broken before in relation to the cracks that appeared in De Minaur’s armor. When he was taking a 2-2 lead at 40-0 in the second set, he lost a double serve, then coughed up another double to drop 5-2. There’s no way to get out of that hole, de Minor has conceded six matches in a row as Tim seizes full command.
The Australian player number 1 who had never climbed one last time, smashing Tim for the third time to equalize in Group Three, 4-4. But the world number 3 player responded with a seventh serve to comfortably advance to the semi-finals of the Grand Slam tournament.
“Obviously the way I feel now, it’s just disappointing the way my campaign ended in the US Open,” said de Minor. “I would have loved to fight more. He played at a very high level and I couldn’t raise my level to meet him. There is still lots and lots of things to work on. I think that’s a positive side. It’s a step and learning curve. I wish I could suddenly click the switch and start In winning the championships. It’s a slow process. “
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