TENNIS • ATP ATLANTA • AUSSIE SENSATION DE MINAUR WINS • FACES ISNER IN THE BB&T SECOND ROUND

Written by: Staff on 24th July 2018

TENNIS • ATP ATLANTA • AUSSIE SENSATION DE MINAUR WINS • FACES ISNER IN THE BB&T SECOND ROUND |

Photo by @ATPWorldTour via Twitter

De Minaur outlasts Hurkacz in third-set tiebreaker, to face Isner in Atlanta second round

By Ricky Dimon

The first main-draw match at the BB&T Atlanta Open went the distance, as a showdown between rising stars Alex de Minaur and Hubert Hurkacz required a final-set tiebreaker.

Hurkacz started hot, but it was the more heralded de Minaur who recovered for a 1-6, 7-6(0), 7-6(5) opening-round win on Monday afternoon. The Australian dropped serve on four occasions and won three fewer total points than Hurkacz (97 to 100), but he won the ones that mattered most to get the job done after two hours and 21 minutes of play.

“I just tried to stay positive throughout the whole match; tried to dig deep,” de Minaur commented. “I knew that if I could just sort of get my teeth into it, I was going to start playing some better tennis and I played some big points on the big occasions. That got me that second set and then I was able to get that momentum going.”

The 19-year-old earned just four points in four return games against Hurkacz’s huge serve throughout a quick set. His woes on his own serve also continued early in the second frame of play, when he double-faulted on break point to fall into 2-1 hole. Hurkacz, however, could not consolidate. The 6’5” Pole got broken for the first time all day in the next game, and 10 holds later a tiebreaker was necessary.

After sweeping the ‘breaker seven points to zero, de Minaur maintained momentum by breaking serve for 5-4 in the third. But out of nowhere, Hurkacz broke back to stay alive and eventually forced a decisive tiebreaker.

De Minaur led 4-1 in the decider before giving back both mini-breaks and another at 5-4. The final two points at 5-5 and 6-5 could have gone either way. De Minaur missed a shot wide after a brief rally but challenged Hurkacz’s previous forehand and the Hurkacza forehand was called out. On his match point at 6-5, de Minaur hit a return off the baseline that forced the 21-year-old into an error. Hurkacz challenged, but de Minaur’s return was confirmed to have clipped the line.

“You always want to be positive,” the world No. 68 explained. “It’s not the easiest thing to do out there, but it’s something I’m working on. I couldn’t be prouder of my effort today. Obviously I was frustrated at times, but I managed to turn it around.”

Next up for de Minaur is four-time Atlanta champion John Isner, who is 27-4 lifetime at this tournament–including 19-1 in his last 20 matches. He has reached the final in seven of eight appearances and has never lost prior to the semis.

“It’s going to be fun,” de Minaur concluded. “Obviously he plays really well here. I just need to go out there and compete; leave it all out there like I always do.”