US Open: Alex de Minaur storms into third round with powerful display

Alex de Minaur is just one of two Australians left at the US Open after powered through his second round clash in a strong sign of things to come.

After a four-set battle to start his US Open campaign, Alex de Minaur put his foot down in the second with a straight-sets victory in just 86 minutes to make a grand slam statement.

The 13th seed demolished Chinese giant-killer Yibing Wu 6-1 6-2 6-1 to reach the final 32 for the fifth time in seven trips to New York.

Having looked sluggish and laborious in his opening match against Kazakh qualifier Timofey Skatov, de Minaur put in a second round performance more befitting of his seeding and his No.12 world ranking.

The Australian broke his opponent seven times, won 82 per cent of his first-serve points and made just 10 unforced errors in 22 games, collecting his 13th win from his past 17 matches.

He joins countryman Rinky Hijikata in the third round after Chris O’Connell pushed 2021 US Open champion Daniil Medvedev to four sets in his second round loss.

“Matches are never easy so whenever you get a chance to kind of come away with a win like that, you will take it for sure,” de Minaur said.

Alex de Minaur is into the third round at the US Open. Picture: Clive Brunskill/Getty Images

“I don‘t think he was feeling 100 per cent today. It’s a shame for him but ultimately it is one of those matches I did what I needed to do and happy to be in the next round.

“I was proud of my mental head space the whole match. I was locked in from the very first point until the last and no matter what was happening in the match.

“You always take a drama free match.”

He’ll now face either Chile‘s world No.25 Nicolas Jarry or 17-year-old American wildcard Alex Michelsen on Sunday for a place in the last 16 of the final major of 2023.

De Minaur is looking to advance to the fourth round at Flushing Meadows for the first time since 2020 when he made the quarterfinals in a career-best grand slam run.

O’Connell, who ousted countryman Max Purcell in the opening round, came from 3-1 down towin the third set in a tie-break against former world No.1 Medvedev.

But it wasn’t enough as the Russian powered over the top in the fourth to win 6-2 6-2 6-7 6 (8-6) 6-2.

Hijikata, who is enjoying his best grand slam run, will play China’s world No.67 Zhizhen Zhang on Saturday.