Rotterdam, Netherlands
Alex de Minaur enjoyed the perfect 25th birthday present thanks to his straight-sets victory over Grigor Dimitrov on Saturday in Rotterdam.
De Minaur broke Dimitrov in the first game of both sets en route to a 6-4 6-3 victory over the former world No.3.
The result sends the Aussie through to the final of the ATP 500 tournament – his fifth career final at this level – and also saw him avenge last year’s quarterfinal defeat to Dimitrov in Rotterdam, from match points up.
“I’m extremely happy with the level throughout the whole match. It was probably one of the better matches I’ve played from start to finish,” said De Minaur, who has now won four of his past five meetings against the Bulgarian.
“This is my standard. This is what I’ve got to bring every single time I walk on the court. That’s how I’m going to play my best tennis.
“I think I made a big step in the right direction, showing the type of tennis I can play, week in, week out.
“I think I’ve raised the bar a little bit and hopefully there’s plenty more to go.”
It’s been exactly 20 years since an Australian has reached the Rotterdam singles final; Lleyton Hewitt went on to win the 2004 title.
De Minaur will attempt to emulate his mentor and Davis Cup captain when he plays Sunday’s final against Jannik Sinner.
Sinner, the recent Australian Open champion, is a perfect 11-0 in 2024 and is riding a 14-match winning streak.
He also leads the head-to-head series against De Minaur 6-0, most recently beating the Aussie in November’s Davis Cup final.
Aussies in action – Rotterdam
RESULTS
Men’s singles, semifinals
[5] Alex de Minaur (AUS) d [6] Grigor Dimitrov (BUL) 6-4 6-3
COMING UP
Men’s singles, final
[5] Alex de Minaur (AUS) v [1] Jannik Sinner (ITA)
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