Alex de Minaur joins Jordan Thompson as sole Aussies in US Open 3rd Round

As Alex de Minaur notched another quality win in New York, several of his compatriots were busy plotting a path home.

Alex de Minaur has reached the third round of the US Open for the third year in succession after beating Frenchman Richard Gasquet in four sets. Picture: Getty Images

As Alex de Minaur notched another quality win in New York, several of his compatriots were as busy plotting a path home as they are planning for success on the tour later this year.

De Minaur was the only Australian winner on day four of the US Open when he defeated classy French veteran Richard Gasquet 6-4 6-3 6-7 (6) 7-5 in a match lasting just over three hours.

The 21-year-old, who will face 11th seed Karen Khachanov in the third round, joined Davis Cup teammate Jordan Thompson in the final 32.

De Minaur, who has been keeping a low profile given the US Open had a pre-tournament COVID-19 scare, had an opportunity to close out the second round encounter when holding three match points in the third set tie-breaker.

But he held his nerve when tested late in the fourth set to prevail.

Another quality win by ⁦@alexdeminaur⁩ to reach the ⁦@usopen⁩ third round. Too strong for French veteran Richard Gasquet. @johnhmillman on court now and leads Frances Tiafoe by two sets to one. pic.twitter.com/4YmhWuZs6T

— Courtney Walsh (@walshcee) September 3, 2020

Thompson will chase his best result at a grand slam on Saturday morning when he plays Kazakhstan’s Mikhail Kukushkin for a spot in the fourth round.

There was less joy for former US Open quarter-finalist John Millman, who let slip a lead against talented American Frances Tiafoe when beaten 7-6 (8) 3-6 1-6 6-3 6-3.

Sydney’s Chris O’Connell, who won a maiden grand slam match on Tuesday, was beaten by last year’s finalist Daniil Medvedev 6-3 6-2 6-4.

But it is another step forward for O’Connell, who was cleaning boats in Pittwater Harbour only two years ago.

As well as pocketing $136,000, he now has the belief he can compete against a genuine star on a major court such as Louis Armstrong Stadium.

The Australians who competed in New York needed an exemption from the Australian government to travel for the US Open.

Watch LIVE coverage of the US Open from the opening round to the finals with ESPN on Kayo. New to Kayo? Get your 14-day free trial & start streaming instantly >

Should Ash Barty head to Paris to defend her French Open title later this month — the world No 1 is entered but still weighing up travelling — she would need a similar exemption.

But leaving Australia is only part of the problem. Getting back home is also a difficult proposition, as thousands of Australians stranded overseas have found.

For tennis players, there is an additional issue amid some uncertainty around the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the 2021 Australian Open in January.

Millman, who will travel to Europe for tournaments there under a quarantine protocol agreed to with US officials, has booked a flight home for November 1 with some trepidation.

He said a fortnight of hard quarantine will effectively prevent players from training and has the potential to compromise their preparation for the Australian summer.

“We are not sure what it looks like later this year,” he told The Weekend Australian.

“It has made it all a little bit more tricky to plan ahead. It has made it a little bit more difficult but hopefully we get more clarity a little bit later on.”

The Queenslander is hoping restrictions related to quarantine ease by the time he is planning to return home but is mindful it is an evolving situation.

“You can’t do a massive stint in quarantine. It would be detrimental to your tennis career,” he said.

“I took it for granted how easy domestic and international travel was.”

Thompson was locked in his hotel room for 27 hours after arriving in New York while he awaited the results of his first COVID-19 test.

The Sydneysider is used to spending long stints on the road and said he would not be returning home until the end of this season, wherever and whenever that may be.

“I definitely won’t be travelling back to Australia, just with the two week quarantine in a hotel,” he said on a Tennis Australia live chat.

“That will pretty much make my year done for tennis, because then I would have to leave and come back again.

“I have a house in Florida, so if I don’t go straight to Europe, I will go there, but I will have to be wary there are a lot of cases in America and in Florida.”

Melbourne-based tournament director Peter Johnson postponed the 2021 Kooyong Classic this week due to uncertainty about accessing Australian Open bound players in January.

Johnson, who said current contracts with major partners had been extended to ensure the Kooyong Classic returns in 2022, is heading to Russia next month to run a major event in St Petersburg.

The tournament has been upgraded and Johnson said the ATP were also looking to schedule more events through October for players like Millman and Thompson.

But he, too, has no certainty as to when he will be able to return to Australia.

He has sourced a flight out of Moscow eight days after the tournament ends but is mindful of both the caps on the number of Australians coming home and also the prospect of flights being cancelled.

“It is going to be hard for any players coming into Australia all round,” he said.