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He’s facing the toughest challenge on the tour – but Alex de Minaur has the tools to stun Novak Djokovic at the Australian Open, according to tennis legend John McEnroe.
The Aussie 22nd seed has been in spectacular form at Melbourne Park, dropping just one set en route to the third round and dispatching Frenchman Benjamin Bonzi in a one-sided third round affair.
It has left him on a collision course with nine-time Australian Open champion Djokovic, who despite looking hampered by a hamstring injury was too good for Grigor Dimitrov on Saturday night.
With the pair due to meet on Monday in the biggest match of the Open to date, McEnroe, a nine-time Grand Slam champion in the 1980s, believes de Minaur is the perfect opponent to cause Djokovic trouble should his injury continue to limit his mobility.
“This is either something that is going to be a non-issue in a match or two or else it’s going to cause an upset in my book,” McEnroe said of Djokovic’s injury on Eurosport.
“De Minaur, his next opponent, is someone that potentially [could upset Djokovic] because he relies on speed and grit and making an opponent work – the type of guy that could cause Novak problems if he’s not 100 percent.”
After saving set points in a thrilling first-set tiebreak, the fourth seed powered away from Dimitrov in the second and third sets, his 7-6 (7), 6-3, 6-4 victory extending his winning streak at Melbourne Park to a career-best 23 matches.
He will again be the red-hot favourite when he faces de Minaur, with the match expected to take place on Monday night (AEDT) at Rod Laver Arena.
Alex de Minaur. (Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)
Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina has ousted world No.1 Iga Swiatek from the Australian Open with a stunning fourth-round victory at Rod Laver Arena.
Swiatek was the hot favourite to claim her first Melbourne Park title and fourth grand slam crown but had no answers to the big-serving 22nd seed Rybakina, who triumphed 6-4 6-4 on Sunday.
The Russian-born Kazakh had never gone further than the Open’s third round before this year but showed impressive poise when it mattered, including winning the second set after trailing 3-0.
In reaching the quarter-finals, Rybakina also snapped defending French and US Open champion Swiatek’s 10-match winning run at grand slams.
“It was a really tough match and I really respect Iga because of the streak she had at the grand slams,” Rybakina said.
“She’s a young player and she plays really well.
“Today I was serving really good, just struggling on one side but I think in the important moments I played really well so it made a big difference.
“I’m nervous every time I go on the court, like everybody. But I’m calm always.
“It’s a big win and I’m just happy to get to another round.”
Rybakina, who won 80 per cent of her first-serve points, will face either No.7 seed Coco Gauff or No.17 seed Jelena Ostapenko in her quarter-final on Tuesday.
The 23-year-old got off to the perfect start when she broke Swiatek’s serve in the first game.
She teed up three set points and coolly dispatched an ace to claim the opening set.
Swiatek fought back immediately in the second set, breaking Rybakina to race out to a 3-0 lead.
But Rybakina wouldn’t go away and was able to get the set back on serve.
She earned three break points at 4-4 and converted the third, before coolly serving out the match.
It is the third time Swiatek, last year’s semi-finalist, has departed Melbourne Park in the fourth round.
The Pole was joined in exiting the tournament by American seventh seed Coco Gauff, who fell 7-5, 6-3 to fiery Latvian Jelena Ostapenko.
The 2017 French Open champion was too powerful for the 18-year old, Ostapenko’s triumph seeing her through to the last eight at a Grand Slam for the first time since Wimbledon 2018.
“I really had nothing to lose so I just went there and tried to show my best and fight for every point and make it hard for her and I’m really happy with the win,” Ostapenko said.
“At the end I think I kept her under so much pressure and it brought me a win.”
© AAP
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