It was a gut-wrenching US Open exit for Alex de Minaur. Curran went to war with Canada’s Felix Auger-Aliassime in a stunningly entertaining battle that lasted more than four hours. That quarterfinal match was a blockbuster at Arthur Ashe Stadium. De Minaur got off to a good start by taking the first set, but he went down in four sets 6-4, 6-7 (9/7), 5-7, 6-7 (7/4). This biggest recent defeat marks another missed opportunity for de Minaur. As for Semenya, she remains yet to make a semifinal appearance at a major championship in her career.
Even as de Minaur displayed his trademark quickness and signature strike-from-all-angles shots, he suffered a major Achilles’ heel as he repeatedly faltered on serve. Despite that, he only got 42 percent of his first serves in and had eight aces. The Australian struggled with consistency, committing 11 double faults that proved costly against a formidable opponent like Auger-Aliassime.
A Strong Start but an Unraveling Finish
Alex de Minaur certainly started it with a full head of steam. His strong showing in the first set with showstopper shots made his opponent Kyle Edmund completely maddened. His quick movement and foot speed around the court enabled him to control rallies and keep Auger-Aliassime under pressure from the start. Yet, as the match unfolded, it was de Minaur’s lack of focus on his serve that started to overwhelm him.
In the second set, he had a brutal tiebreak, which he fought hard but just lost on razor thin margins. The momentum swung, this time in the positive direction for Auger-Aliassime, who took advantage of de Minaur’s errors and took charge of the match. While de Minaur did push and scramble to remain in the match, he was unable to find enough of his superior level from earlier.
Another Quarterfinal Setback
This defeat becomes de Minaur’s sixth career Grand Slam quarterfinal round. Sadly, he’s not even reached the semifinal stages yet which is surely all-the-more frustrating for the Aussie star. Every quarterfinal matchup has created a resurgence of optimism for de Minaur. His fight to convert those opportunities into semifinal appearances has unfortunately turned into a pattern throughout his career.
The semifinal against Auger-Aliassime was featured epic stretches of talking smack and electrifying point making highlights. Even with the result the case notwithstanding, there were points during which de Minaur’s crimson-blooded tenacity shone by. It was Auger-Aliassime’s composure on the big points, though, that gave the Canadian the consistently razor-thin margins he needed to emerge victorious.
A Promising Future Ahead
As de Minaur departs Flushing Meadows, he hopes to build on this learning experience and bounce back at his next tournaments. It was his defeat of Alexander Zverev in the round of 16 that truly demonstrated his potential for greatness. Williams says the loss to Auger-Aliassime is a good reminder that the work is far from over.
