Follow us on Google Discover Alex de Minaur has booked his place in the semifinals of the Vienna Open after defeating Matteo Berrettini in straight sets.
The Australian got off to a hot start and looked to be closing in on a comfortable victory until Berrettini fought back in the second set to force a tiebreak.
De Minaur ultimately emerged victorious in the shootout to claim the win, 6-1, 7-6, and set up a final four clash with either Jannik Sinner or Alexander Bublik.
He has also given himself slightly more breathing room in the race to the ATP Finals, in which he is currently seventh.
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The Vienna Open marks de Minaur’s first tournament of the indoor hard-court season, and the world number seven is looking to beat his semifinal finish from last year.
His straight-set win against Berrettini was his third such victory of the competition, but de Minaur says the bout with the Italian was by no means plain sailing.
Alex de Minaur reacts to his win over Matteo Berrettini in Vienna
In his on-court interview, he said: “I just needed to go back to what was working. That was having that aggressive mindset and going out there to win the match.
“I thought I did well, then serving for it, I had a volley on top of the net, that I don’t know how many in my career that I am going to miss like that. It was almost unmissable. Then all of a sudden, I get broken, and we are in a battle.
“But what I am extremely proud of is my mental effort. Not to get down on myself, to keep fighting and to keep giving myself chances. I ended up getting a very good win today, so happy with that.
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“Ultimately, you just have to back yourself. I go back to what has been working for me the last couple of years, and that is to have more of that aggressive mindset, especially in the big points and just remind myself that’s the way forward.
“I am going to feel a whole lot better about myself if I lose the points going for it than if I am tentative and make stupid errors.”
When asked about the semifinals, de Minaur said: “I am always ready! I stay ready! I am pleased with my level so far.
“I think today was a big step in the right direction. I played some great tennis for about three quarters of that match, and I am going to have to keep that level going forward.”
Miles Maclagan reacts to Alex de Minaur’s win at the Vienna Open
Reacting to the 26-year-old’s win on Sky Sports, former British tennis player Miles Maclagan said: “Took quite an effort in the end.
“De Minaur with contrasting sets. The way it finished and the way it started. He was utterly dominant early on, but then perhaps some nerves. Things weren’t quite as smooth.
“He gave Berrettini a bit of room to play with and the Italian pushed him to the tie break, but in the end the errors proved costly for Berrettini.
“Frustration, no doubt. There were opportunities for him, but I’m sure he’ll be happy to get through a couple of matches. The body looks to be intact.
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“It was a performance built on the back of some excellent returns. He was able to get it back under Berrettini’s feet time and time again and then dictate from there, take the ball early and find his way to the net frequently. He put away a series of very solid volleys.
“Things did get a bit trickier. There was a chance for Berrettini to go ahead in the second set. But in the end, I think the unforced errors from the Italian undid a lot of his good work.”
Berrettini tallied a total of 34 unforced errors against de Minaur.