The quarter-finals of a grand slam has been for Alex de Minaur what platform nine and three-quarters is for mere humans – impossible to get into. Aside from last year’s US Open, when he made it that far in a draw reduced by Covid-19, the fourth round has been the Australian’s ceiling.
He is on the verge again at Melbourne Park, after making the fourth round here for a second consecutive year, except that the draw has handed him Novak Djokovic. He does not think the nine-time Australian Open champion’s hamstring problem will make his assignment any easier.
“Look, I’m not going to read into too much of that injury,” he said. “Ultimately he’s one of the best players in the world, and I’m just going to have to take it to him and not shy away from the occasion. I’m going to make sure I make it as tough as I can, and just bring the recent experience I’ve had on court and how I’ve been feeling.”
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De Minaur, the 22nd seed and Australia’s only remaining men’s hope after Alexei Popyrin’s loss to the American Ben Shelton, wasted no time surging into the second week, dispatching Benjamin Bonzi in straight sets. The 23-year-old broke his French opponent seven times on Rod Laver Arena in a regulation 7-6 (0), 6-2, 6-1 victory lasting only two hours and eight minutes.
“I’m very happy, I can’t lie,” De Minaur said. “Honestly, as a kid, this is what you train for, to be playing on this court in front of you guys on the biggest stages in the world. Every time I get out here I’ve got to pinch myself.”
De Minaur has never faced Djokovic but he has speed on his side against a player who was visibly hampered by injury in his win over Grigor Dimitrov and afterwards described De Minaur as “one of the quickest players on the tour”.
He also has morale-boosting form on his side, having beaten Rafael Nadal, last year’s champion, in this month’s United Cup and Daniil Medvedev, whom the Spaniard beat in the final here, in November. “These are the matches you want to be playing,” he said. “You don’t want a walkover into the final of a slam. You want to be playing the best in the world. That’s what I’ve got.
“I’m going to probably have the best in the world in front of me, and I’m ready for the battle. I want to take it to them and show what I’m made of in the biggest of stages and just test myself out there and really take it to them.”
