Alex de Minaur begins his Wimbledon 2024 marketing campaign with a hard-fought victory in opposition to compatriot James Duckworth.
London, Nice Britain, 3 July 2024 | Leigh Rogers
Alex de Minaur has emerged triumphant in his first Grand Slam singles assembly with a fellow Australian. Nonetheless, the ninth seed was pressured to dig deep to make a profitable begin to his Wimbledon 2024 marketing campaign.
He navigated some impressed play from James Duckworth, plus a number of prolonged rain delays, earlier than ultimately prevailing 7-6(1) 7-6(3) 7-6(4) in an all-Australian showdown at Court docket 12.
“It positively wasn’t straightforward by any means,” De Minaur mentioned.
“It’s by no means straightforward taking part in a fellow Aussie. Enjoying Geese, who is a superb grass-court participant, and beginning your Wimbledon marketing campaign is just not straightforward, however I’m glad to be by way of.”
The 32-year-old Duckworth, a fortunate loser within the draw, pushed the Aussie No.1 all through the three-hour and four-minute encounter. The world No.81 even served for each the second and third units.
However 25-year-old De Minaur finally had too many solutions, proving why he’s a top-10 star by lifting within the tightest moments. He completed the match with 49 winners, together with 16 aces.
The straight-sets victory improves De Minaur’s report to 22 wins from his 30 profession conferences in opposition to an Australian opponent.
He has solely misplaced to an Aussie participant twice prior to now 5 years. Alexei Popyrin had his measure on the Paris Masters in 2021, whereas Nick Kyrgios was victorious once they met on the Canadian Masters in 2022. That is his second victory in opposition to Duckworth.
Following his match, De Minaur rushed to assist British girlfriend Katie Boulter as she edged out a 7-6(6) 7-5 first-round victory in opposition to Wimbledon 2022 semifinalist Tatjana Maria.
“I positively would have relatively she received one and one, I’ll inform you that. That means I in all probability might have relaxed,” he smiled.
“I assume it was day on the family. I by no means knew we have been so good at taking part in tiebreaks.”
By to the second spherical at Wimbledon for the fifth time in his profession, De Minaur subsequent faces Spaniard Jaume Munar.
De Minaur not too long ago defeated world No.63 Munar within the second spherical at Roland Garros, then went on to succeed in the quarterfinals in a career-best run.
“I’m very intrigued for this match-up,” De Minaur mentioned. “Clearly I performed him on clay, however I believe I can’t take something out of that match, if I’m utterly sincere, going into taking part in him on grass. It’s utterly polar reverse surfaces. I believe it’s going to be much more on my racquet.”
Australian hopes Alexei Popyrin, who scored his first Wimbledon singles victory in 5 years, and Adam Walton, who recorded his first Grand Slam main-draw win, additionally superior on day two.
Thanasi Kokkinakis’ night match with Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime was suspended within the fourth set, after the Australian had gallantly saved 4 match factors to maintain his hopes alive in a tense third-set tiebreak.
Aussies in motion – Wimbledon
RESULTS
Males’s singles, first spherical
[9] Alex de Minaur (AUS) d [LL] James Duckworth (AUS) 7-6(1) 7-6(3) 7-6(4)
Alexei Popyrin (AUS) d Thiago Monteiro (BRA) 6-4 6-7(8) 6-3 6-4
Adam Walton (AUS) d Federico Coria (ARG) 6-3 6-3 7-5
[13] Taylor Fritz (USA) d Chris O’Connell (AUS) 6-1 6-2 6-4
Flavio Cobolli (ITA) d Rinky Hijikata (AUS) 7-5 4-6 6-4 6-4
Girls’s singles, first spherical
[13] Jelena Ostapenko (LAT) d [WC] Ajla Tomljanovic (AUS) 6-1 6-2
[Q] Robin Montgomery (USA) d [Q] Olivia Gadecki (AUS) 6-4 6-4
COMING UP
Males’s singles, first spherical
Thanasi Kokkinakis (AUS) v [17] Felix Auger-Aliassime (CAN) 4-6 5-7 7-6(9) 1-1 to complete
Males’s singles, second spherical
[9] Alex de Minaur (AUS) v Jaume Munar (ESP)
Aleksandar Vukic (AUS) v [3] Carlos Alcaraz (ESP)
Alexei Popyrin (AUS) v [30] Tomas Martin Etcheverry (ARG)
Jordan Thompson (AUS) v Brandon Nakashima (USA)
Adam Walton (AUS) v Francisco Comesana (ARG)
> VIEW: Wimbledon 2024 males’s singles draw
Girls’s singles, second spherical
Daria Saville (AUS) v [18] Marta Kostyuk (UKR)
> VIEW: Wimbledon 2024 girls’s singles draw
> READ: 9 Australians to contest doubles at Wimbledon 2024
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