Match Report
De Minaur survives scare, reaches Antwerp QFs
Auger-Aliassime, Bautista Agut transfer on at ATP 250 hard-court occasion
October 16, 2024
BelgaImage
Alex de Minaur advances to the quarter-finals on the European Open in Antwerp.
By ATP Employees
Might Alex de Minaur be set to ignite a late cost to qualify for his maiden look on the Nitto ATP Finals?
The 25-year-old dug deep to outlive a scare Wednesday on the European Open in Antwerp to assert a victory upon return to tour-level motion. De Minaur acquired off to a sluggish begin in his first match for the reason that US Open quarter-finals however rallied from a set right down to defeat Roberto Carballes Baena 2-6, 6-4, 6-2 to ebook his spot within the final eight.
“It’s by no means straightforward getting back from harm, so I’m glad I used to be in a position to win at present,” mentioned de Minaur, who has been nursing a hip harm that pressured him out of the Asian swing. “It took lots of combat and energy, so I’m glad to get a primary win right here in Antwerp.
“The match isn’t over till the final level, that’s what I at all times inform myself. I’m at all times going to compete till the very finish and it’s helped me win lots of matches, so I higher hold doing it.”
De Minaur is at the moment ninth within the PIF ATP Dwell Race To Turin, 425 factors behind eighth-placed Andrey Rublev, who’s in motion Thursday in Stockholm. The Australian, who reached the 2020 closing in Antwerp, started to seek out his rhythm within the second set, throughout which he gained 83 per cent (10/12) of factors behind his first serve, however in the end clicked into gear in a gruelling deciding set, prevailing in two hours, 18 minutes.
The highest seed will subsequent face Hugo Gaston, who edged Mariano Navone in an exhilarating second-round conflict. The Frenchman held his nerve to earn a 6-4, 6-7(3), 7-6(4) triumph in two hours, 50 minutes.
Earlier, Roberto Bautista Agut produced a steely efficiency towards Tomas Martin Etcheverry to change into the oldest quarter-finalist in Antwerp event historical past. The 36-year-old Spaniard claimed a commanding 7-6(2), 6-4 win within the pair’s maiden Lexus ATP Head2Head assembly.
Third seed Felix Auger-Aliassime closed the day by rallying previous Marton Fucsovics 6-7(4), 6-4, 6-2. The Canadian typically utilized strain on Fucsovics’ serve and created 13 break possibilities, changing three of them, in response to Infosys ATP Stats. Auger-Aliassime broke for the primary time at 3-3 within the second set and constructed upon his momentum to enhance to 3-2 in his Lexus ATP Head2Head sequence with Fucsovics.
