Firing forehand winners past a legend and pumping his fists in a ferocious manner, Alex de Minaur gave the United Cup the local morale boost it needed on Monday night in Sydney.
In front of an adoring audience at Ken Rosewall Arena, the Australian spearhead overcame a set deficit on his favourite court to defeat Rafael Nadal 3-6 6-1 7-5 for the first time. But his thrilling victory in the inaugural competition also served as a reminder of what Australian tennis has lost given the remodelling of the Davis and Billie Jean King Cups in recent years.
