Alex de Minaur expressed his excitement for the opportunity to compete against Novak Djokovic, also known as the “GOAT”, in the quarter-final match against Serbia on Wednesday evening at the United Cup in Perth.
The upcoming men’s singles match between de Minaur and Djokovic is set to be one of the most highly anticipated matches of the $US10 million ($A15 million) mixed-teams tournament.
De Minaur was crushed 6-2 6-1 6-2 by Djokovic in the fourth round of the Australian Open last year. But a thumping 6-4 6-2 win over world No 10 Taylor Fritz on Monday has given the 24-year-old Sydneysider’s confidence a massive boost ahead of his re-match with Djokovic.
De Minaur considers Djokovic, a 24-time champion in grand slam tournaments and currently ranked as the world’s No. 1 player at 36 years old, to be the greatest male player of all time, slightly surpassing Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer.
De Minaur acknowledged that Novak’s skill level is impressive and he may be considered the greatest of all time. He also mentioned that Novak has had a strong start to the year and it will be a difficult match. However, he sees it as an opportunity to showcase his own abilities.
On Tuesday, Djokovic experienced a moment of concern when he hurt his wrist during practice. Despite the injury, the seasoned star was able to overcome it and lead Serbia to a 2-1 win against the Czech Republic. He is certain that he will be in good condition to face de Minaur.
Ajla Tomljanovic, a three-time quarter-finalist at grand slam tournaments, will be competing against Olga Danilovic, currently ranked 121st in the world, in the women’s singles event.
In the event of a tie, Australia will have an advantage in the live mixed doubles match thanks to the strong partnership of Matt Ebden and Storm Hunter. Hunter is currently ranked as the top player in women’s doubles, while Ebden holds the fourth spot in men’s singles.
The pair has not been defeated in the current United Cup and intends to team up for all four major tournaments and potentially the Olympics in the upcoming year.
A few months back, Storm and I discussed participating in the major tennis tournaments and possibly the Olympics this year,” Ebden said. “But then we noticed the United Cup was also an option and I suggested, ‘Are you signing up? We can train together and begin at the United Cup.’
This is an ideal beginning for us as a duo, and it’s particularly meaningful to compete together in all the major tournaments with an Australian player. This is exactly what we hope for in doubles and mixed events – the support of our home country and the opportunity to represent two Australians.
“I am grateful to be able to play both doubles and mixed doubles.”
In the quarter-final match for the United Cup on Wednesday, Poland’s top seeded players will compete against China’s representatives. Hubert Hurkacz and Zhizhen Zhang will face off in the men’s singles, followed by a match between world No 1 Iga Swiatek and Qinwen Zheng.
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However, in the second warm-up event leading up to the Australian Open, Australian wildcards Rinky Hijikata and experienced player Jordan Thompson emerged victorious in two all-Australian matches on a successful day for Australian players at the Brisbane International.
On Tuesday, Alexei Popyrin was joined by Hijikata, Thompson, qualifier James Duckworth, and Rafael Nadal-hunter Jason Kubler in the final 16.
Hijikata achieved a personal best ranking after reaching the fourth round of the US Open in September. He further solidified the success of the younger players by defeating Thanasi Kokkinakis 7-6 (10-8), 6-2.
The 22-year-old will now compete against Czech qualifier Tomas Machac for a spot in the quarter-finals. Thompson easily defeated Aleksandar Vukic 6-3 6-2, earning him a spot in the second round. His next opponent will be either French fourth seed Ugo Humbert or American qualifier Alex Michelsen, who will face off on Friday.
Duckworth faced a challenging rain delay but persevered to maintain his strong performance from the qualifying rounds, successfully advancing to the second round of the Australian Open warm-up event, which was heavily affected by weather disruptions.
Source: theguardian.com
