Alex de Minaur has turned the tables on his US Open conqueror Jack Draper, battling back for a victory in the Paris Masters that propels him to the verge of becoming the first Australian in 20 years to make the ATP Finals.
De Minaur's 5-7 6-2 6-3 victory at the Palais Omnisports on Thursday not only booked the Sydneysider a place in the quarter-finals, it also took him, provisionally, into the eighth and final spot in the race to make the end-of-season championship in Turin.
The field won't be confirmed until after next week's final qualifying tournaments in Belgrade - where de Minaur will be top seed - and Moselle, but the 25-year-old is now on pole to be the first Aussie since his Davis Cup captain Lleyton Hewitt in 2004 to compete in the 'fifth slam'.