Alex de Minaur moves into the second round at the US Open with little fuss, beating fellow Australian Chris O’Connell 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 without facing a break point.
The No.8 seed was scratchy at times, and landed only 33 per cent of first serves in the second set – and half of them for the match – so there is plenty of room for improvement. The positives are 10 aces, including four in his first five serves, winning 36 of 39 first-serve points, and hitting more winners than unforced errors (27-23).
Awaiting de Minaur in the next round is Japanese qualifier Shintaro Mochizuki, who beat France’s Hugo Gaston 6-4, 6-3, 6-4 to keep his run going.
“I’m super happy to be back here in New York, it’s great to start off with a win. It’s never easy playing a fellow Aussie, a mate, but I’m happy to be in the next round,” de Minaur said in his on-court interview.
“I’m very happy with the way I’m playing, and how I’m feeling. I’m putting myself in a good position. Now, let’s see if the tennis helps out, and hopefully, I can be here in New York for a very long time.”