‘It wasn’t pretty’, but de Minaur seals top-10 return and a place in Washington final

Alex de Minaur sent a signal to junk-balling Frenchman Corentin Moutet – deliberately or not – before even hitting a ball in their Washington semi-final.

The Australian, known for his relentless court coverage, walked out on Sunday (AEST) carrying two extra pairs of blue Asics shoes in a none-too-subtle message that he was ready to rumble in oppressive conditions in the United States capital.

Alex de Minaur celebrates winning through to the final in Washington.Credit: Getty Images

De Minaur overcame an error-filled start, particularly on his usually sturdy backhand, to march past Moutet 6-4, 6-3 to make the Washington final for the second time and ensure he will return to the top 10 on Monday.

He finished with an undesirable ratio of 20 winners against 33 unforced errors, but went up a notch in the second set and was outstanding at the net, where he won 17 of 22 points with some spectacular volleying.

It was de Minaur’s tour-leading 21st hardcourt victory this year as he bids to become the first Australian winner at the ATP 500 tournament since Nick Kyrgios in 2019 and 2022. He will also try to capture his 10th ATP Tour title and extend his streak of winning at least one to a fifth straight year.

“I knew going in it was never going to be pretty, so I had the mindset that I just had to get the job done, whichever way possible,” de Minaur told this masthead.

“It’s complicated playing against him. He takes all the rhythm away from you, and ultimately, his game style is exactly that – to make the match as ugly as possible.

“I’m very excited to be in another final here, and in a great mindset, so regardless of what happens tomorrow, I’ll take this as a very positive week for me and use it as a springboard for the rest of the US Open summer.”

After going up a set despite committing 21 unforced errors, de Minaur reeled off the opening 14 points and 17 of the first 18 in the second set – including two breaks – to transform a once-competitive contest into a rout.

Moutet even mockingly raised his arms in triumph after a de Minaur forehand cleared the baseline to deliver him his first service point of the set in the fifth game.

De Minaur last reached the Washington final seven years ago, losing in straight sets to Germany’s Alexander Zverev.

This time, he will face childhood Spanish rival Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, who beat rocket-serving American star Ben Shelton in the other semi-final.

Moutet – full-time tour pest and occasional rapper, who courts constant controversy, including being booted out of his own country’s federation for bad behaviour and being booed by fans in Madrid this year – became increasingly frustrated as the match slipped away.

The diminutive left-hander copped a code violation at the end of the first set for snapping his racquet over his right leg, after angrily bouncing it into the court in reaction to going a set down.

“I knew what to expect from the other side [with Moutet’s antics] and my job is to be focused and handle that, from the very first point to the last, and know there will be a lot of noise on the other side of the court,” de Minaur said.

“At the same time, I knew he would fight and compete until the end – he’s extremely dangerous.”

Moutet lost in final-round qualifying but received a second chance at the title as a lucky loser when Holger Rune withdrew. He will make his top-50 debut next week as a result.

But the stakes are far higher for de Minaur, who is one spot out of the automatic qualifying places for the end-of-year tour finals.

The 26-year-old could challenge his career-high ranking of No.6 if he produces a strong finish, given he missed significant time at the end of last year recovering from a hip injury and has relatively few points to defend.

However, de Minaur, who reached the US Open quarter-finals in 2024 despite still being hampered by his hip issue, told this masthead before advancing to the fourth round at Wimbledon that he would no longer obsess over his ranking.

“It looks like not focusing on rankings does help,” de Minaur said.

“I do have this level to be inside the top 10, so whether I drop in or out, it’s not something that concerns me too much, especially with how last year went, and how my rankings points are spread out.

“I have three zeroes in Masters [events I missed last year], so I knew at the back end of this year there would be lots of opportunity, so I’m excited to go out there and hopefully, win a lot of matches and set myself up.”

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