Alex de Minaur has continued Australia’s soaring start to the French Open, overcoming a brief absent-minded spell to beat Belarusian Ilya Ivashka and motor into the second round.
After Thanasi Kokkinakis, Jason Kubler and Storm Hunter had all marked the opening Sunday at Roland Garros with victories, Aussie men’s No.1 De Minaur regrouped after a second-set blip to win 6-1 5-7 6-1 6-3 on a sun-blessed start to day two.
It was only the third time that No.18 seed de Minaur has got past the first round in seven attempts in the Paris grand slam, and there was enough to savour in his two-hour 45-minute triumph to imbue him with confidence that he’ll make the last-32 for the first time this year.
Australia’s best hope of a big run on the red clay will next play Argentina’s world No.49 Tomas Martin Etcheverry, who earned an easy passage on Monday when British hope Jack Draper, struggling with a left shoulder injury that reduced him to using underarm serves, had to retire soon after losing the first set.
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De Minaur had a torrid time in last year’s French Open, being ousted in the opening round in a bearpit atmosphere on Court Suzanne Lenglen by home hope Hugo Gaston and he ended complaining, uncharacteristically, that the crowd had crossed a line in their boisterous behaviour.
On Monday, though, it was all far more civilised as, out on court six, de Minaur had most of the support behind him as he swept through the first set in just 31 one-sided minutes against the potentially tricky world No.73 Ivashka.
It was all going swimmingly for the Sydneysider, employing an aggressive approach, until, serving for the second set at 5-3, he suddenly encountered a poor spell, coughing up nine unforced errors in the next four games, giving Ivashka the chance to level affairs.
De Minaur was not fazed, hitting back immediately as the third set lasted only half as long as the second, with de Minaur cracking a dozen winners to take the stanza.
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By the fourth, the Australian, who had already beaten Ivashka before on a hard court and on grass, was really enjoying himself.
One glorious point – a running lob followed by a reflex volley winner off an Ivashka smash – helped him to one of his 10 breaks of serve throughout the match.
By now advancing deep into the court to attack Ivashka’s second serve, the Belarusian was left chucking down his racquet in disgust at one point in the fourth set as De Minaur went on to book his second-round date in a performance decorated with 35 winners.
-AAP
