A rejuvenated Alex de Minaur easily advanced to the second week of the Australian Open with a comfortable win against qualifier Flavio Cobolli at John Cain Arena on Friday night.
The 10th-ranked player faced some difficulties from the 21-year-old, who had to win five matches at Melbourne Park to reach this point. However, the Australian player was able to maintain a steady performance and ultimately won the match 6-3, 6-3, 6-1 in 128 minutes. This was De Minaur’s second consecutive win against an Italian opponent and extended his sets won streak to seven after losing the first set to Milos Raonic in the opening round on Monday.
De Minaur expressed his contentment after the match, acknowledging that he may have been slightly tense during it. Nonetheless, he is pleased to have made it through and reaching the second week makes it feel like the tournament is truly underway.
Following his victory over 41st-ranked Arnaldi in a straight sets match on Wednesday, De Minaur faced a new opponent in Cobolli. Despite never having met before, it seemed that De Minaur was well-prepared for the match. Prior to the match, the Australian had likened Cobolli to Arnaldi in terms of “firepower”.
De Minaur immediately took control, securing a break and leading 3-2 in the first set. Despite being the son of a former professional player who was once ranked 237th in the world, Arnaldi proved himself capable on the court. It wasn’t until the fifth-to-last game that he was able to take a service game off of De Minaur. In a surprising turn, Cobolli managed to do so in just his seventh game, leaving the Melbourne Park fans speechless.
De Minaur expressed admiration for his opponent’s skills and determination as he advanced through the tournament, even defeating seeded players in the third round after starting in the qualifying rounds. He holds a high level of respect for his competitor.
As the game progressed, it became apparent that the Australian player’s skill was superior. He regained composure and won the first set, appearing to have the upper hand in the beginning of the second set. However, the Italian player showed great determination. He had already successfully qualified for the Melbourne Park tournament and defeated the 18th seeded player, Nicolás Jarry, in the first round.
In the second game of the set, Cobolli almost succeeded in breaking De Minaur. However, as De Minaur attempted to take control, the Italian stayed strong. Despite facing the world No 10 and a loud crowd of nearly 10,000 in John Cain Arena, Cobolli managed to hold his ground and avoid being broken.
At a score of 1-1, the Italian player’s serving game lasted an impressive 23 points and took 17 minutes. De Minaur made a powerful return on break point, but it went out of bounds. The Italian player made some desperate saves and impressive pickups, but the rowdy fans showed little respect for his efforts. They even sang “Aussie, Aussie, Aussie” four times. The chair umpire also became irritated. Cobolli eventually lost the game and his chances dwindled. He was unable to convert any of his four break points in the second set, ultimately resulting in a win for the Australian player.
His efforts seemed to be taking a toll on him. After taking a break for medical reasons, the last round went by quickly, but he left with a smile on his face, clearly satisfied with his outstanding performance in the grand slam.
The upcoming match for the Australian will be a challenging one, as he will be facing the No 5 seed, Andrey Rublev, in the next round. He will need to make improvements, particularly in his first serve, which only landed 52% of the time in his previous match against the Italian.
“I am exactly where I want to be, entering the latter part of the tournament in the second week of the Grand Slam,” De Minaur stated. “I have always been advised that the first week of a Slam is about getting through by any means necessary, and the second week is when you can truly showcase your tennis skills.”
Source: theguardian.com
