Alex de Minaur has delivered an enormous enhance to his hopes of reaching the end-of-season ATP Finals, conjuring up a few of his finest tennis since struggling his season-changing harm at Wimbledon as he powered into the final 4 on the Vienna Open.
The Australian primary needed to come from a set down in opposition to one of many hottest younger prospects on the earth sport, teenage Czech Jakub Mensik, earlier than prevailing 6-7 (2-7) 6-3 6-4 simply earlier than midnight on Friday (Saturday AEDT) and reserving a spot within the semifinals.
If he can win the hardcourt title within the Austrian capital over the weekend, it could push de Minaur among the many high eight gamers at the moment in line to qualify for the showpiece males’s Finals in Turin subsequent month.
Sydney’s second-seed de Minaur will face unseeded Russian Karen Khachanov in Saturday’s (Sunday AEDT) semifinal, whereas rising British star Jack Draper will meet Italy’s Wimbledon semifinalist Lorenzo Musetti within the different last-four duel.
Moving into the combination for an ATP Finals place after the hip harm that has fully disrupted his program since he suffered it at Wimbledon in July can be a rare feat of resilience and resolve from the 25-year-old ‘Demon’, who unveiled these qualities as soon as extra whereas subduing the sensible Mensik.
After being blown away by the irrepressible 18-year-old of their first-set tie-break, de Minaur not solely survived the barrage of 15 aces and 47 winners that scorched from the younger Czech’s racquet however he additionally grew to become the primary man all week to interrupt Mensik’s big serve, reaching the feat as soon as in every of the following two units.
In some dazzling closing exchanges within the deciding set, the Australian significantly amazed in a single rally with a sensational response lobbed volley when he was seemingly flying the improper manner in mid-air.
De Minaur proved rather more safe than {the teenager}, who made 47 unforced errors to the Australian’s 19, as he arrange a battle with Khachanov, who had earlier defeated Matteo Berrettini 6-1 6-4.
AAP
