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Join the Alex de Minaur fan base, it's tremendous value

13th January, 2018
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(Photo by Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images)
Expert
13th January, 2018
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When Daniil Medvedev accepted the applause from the Ken Rosewall Arena last night for winning the Sydney International final, the Russian pointed to where little Aussie Alex de Minaur was seated and clapped his racquet.

It was a meaningful small gesture of respect but huge recognition of how Medvedev rated the 18-year-old de Minaur’s future.

And tennis fans around Australia should join the fast-growing de Minaur fan base. He’s an excitement machine.

There’s not even a remote hint of the Nick Kyrgios or Bernard Tomic crap tantrums. Here’s a teenager who loves what he’s doing and has sensational talent, and he effortlessly passes all that onto those packing the stands.

He’s come from being ranked 1574 in 2015 when he turned pro to 349 in 2016, 208 last year and started this year ranked 167. After his giant-killings of the past fortnight he’ll be ranked around 120 in the world tomorrow.

There’s nothing of him, yet he’s constantly taken on far bigger and far more experienced opponents and winning.

De Minaur reached his first ATP semi-final in Brisbane, beating Milos Raonic and Steve Johnson on the way.

De Minaur’s 180 centimetres tall and weighs 69 kilograms dripping wet, and he has career winnings of just $257,312.

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Canadian Raonic, ranked 23, towered over him at 196 centimetres and has banked $15.8 million, but de Minaur beat him 6-4 6-4.

American Johnson, ranked 44, stands 188 centimetres and has banked $4.2 million, but de Minaur beat him 7-5 6-4.

(Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images)

Spaniard Fernando Verdasco, ranked 40, stands 188 centimetres and has earned $14.5 million, but de Minaur beat him 6-4 6-2 in Sydney.

Another Spaniard, Feliciano Lopez, suffered the same fate of 6-4 6-4 despite being ranked 36 in the world and having banking $14.7 million.

Last night, with the legend Ken Rosewall in attendance, de Minaur and 21-year-old Medvedev turned on a two-hour and 13-minute final that was right off the shelf.

But the same physical differences were obvious: de Minaur is 180 centimetres, Medvedev is 198 centimetres. How the little Aussie keeps giving away so much height but sticks in there says volumes about his courage and determination. Obviously it will be an ongoing problem that de Minaur will just have to tough out. And he will.

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Last night he won the first set 6-1, but Medvedev got his act into gear and used his physical advantages to take the second set 6-4.

Right out of left field Medvedev jumped to a 4-0 lead in the decider, and even the commentators wrote de Minaur off. But they didn’t know Alex de Minaur, who fought back to level at 5-5. Medvedev lifted a couple of cogs to win 7-5 to claim his first ATP title.

Talking titles, de Minaur was the Australian under-14 and under-16 champion. He still looks under 14, which makes you blink when he rifles stinging forehands and backhands down the line or cross-court.

Two tournaments don’t make a career, but Alex de Minaur is an exciting prospect for all the right reasons, especially with Davis Cup captain Lleyton Hewitt the man on the spot.

Next up on Tuesday in the first round of the Australian Open will be quality Czech Tomas Berdych, who beat Roger Federer in the 2010 Wimbledon quarters and Novak Djokovic in the semis before losing to Rafael Nadal in the final.

Berdych is now ranked 20th in the world, has reached the semis in the other three Grand Slams and has banked $28.2 million. What’s more is he stands 196 centimetres – same old, same old.

But he’ll know he’s been playing Alex de Minaur.

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