Alex de Minaur vows to follow the footsteps of Aussie legends at US Open

Alex de Minaur is determined to follow in the footsteps of Australian legends as he prepares for his first grand slam quarter-final.

Alex de Minaur thumps a forehand on the way to a maiden grand slam quarterfinal

Alex de Minaur is determined to do his best to follow in the footsteps of Australian legends as he prepares for his first grand slam quarter-final in New York.

The 21st seed continued his impressive run at the US Open when too strong for Canadian Vasek Pospisil 7-6 (6) 6-3 6-2 in a classy performance at Flushing Meadows.

The Australian, who saved four set points in succession in the opening set tiebreaker when seizing control, now plays the highest-ranked man left in the tournament in Dominic Thiem, the world No 3.

It is a significant test. The Austrian blitzed the Australian in de Minaur’s US Open debut in 2017 and edged him in a Davis Cup match played on an extremely slow clay court a year later.

Thiem is a three-time grand slam finalist who presented as a major winner of the future with a superb performance against Novak Djokovic in the Australian Open final in January.

But de Minaur, who is the second youngest player left in the draw aged 21, continues to mature impressively and feels he belongs on the biggest stages in tennis.

“At the end of the day, this is where I want to be, and this is where I truly believe I belong, (in the) second weeks of slams and going deep. I‘m happy I’m finally at this stage,” he said.

de Minaur is a man of two nations, having spent significant portions of his life in Spain and Australia.

But he made a choice at the age of 11 to confirm himself an Australian when the local federation stepped in to provide him with assistance.

Quiz him about rugby league and he will tell you he cannot wait to barrack for the Blues in the rescheduled State of Origin series later this year. He leads the banter against his Maroons mates.

He wears his Australian nationality on his chest in the form of a small tattoo of the number 109, which represents his pecking order in Davis Cup players to represent the country.

And he has great respect for those who came before him.

Lleyton Hewitt and Pat Rafter were US Open champions around the turn of the century, while John Newcombe, Ken Rosewall and Rod Laver were successful in the infancy of the Open era.

Frank Sedgman was Australia’s first US champion in 1951 and Malcolm Anderson, Ashley Cooper, Neale Fraser, Roy Emerson and Fred Stolle also enjoyed American success in the amateur era.

“There is such a rich history, legacy and culture within Australian tennis and there is nothing I would want more than to be known as one of those guys and to be in the same kind of conversations as those people,” de Minaur told the US Open website this week.

“Obviously I have very large shoes to fill, but look, I’m just going to do my best and keep gathering some wins and push myself out there.”

The ATP Tour Newcomer of the Year in 2018, de Minaur claimed three ATP Tour titles last year and started this season in impressive fashion in the ATP Cup.

A stomach injury forced him out of the Australian Open, much to his despair, but he worked hard during the season suspension to strengthen his body.

That has not led to more bulk, with the Sydneysider relying on his speed around the court to defend where needed and attack when possible.

He possesses a superb return taken earlier than many of his peers, which enables him to place pressure on his rivals quicker than most. His pace is undeniably a weapon.

“If I could definitely blast people off the court, then trust me, I would rather do that. This running thing gets tiring, that‘s for sure,” he said after his defeat of Pospisil.

“Look, I‘ve got to deal with what God gave me. He didn’t give me the best physique. I’m not as strong or as tall as other people. So I have to find ways to win. That’s the way I win.

“Of course I take pride and I want that to be known, I want that to be my brand of tennis. And I want people in the locker room to know that if they‘re going to beat me, they’re going to have to go through me.”

After a tight first set against another emerging star in Felix Auger-Aliassime on Tuesday, Thiem was awesome in winning 7-6 (4) 6-1 6-1.

A dual-French Open finalist, the 26-year-old is a prolific player who boasts immense power from the baseline, with his single-handed backhand arguably the world’s best.

But he is well aware that he faces a rival who has emerged as a clear contender of the future.

“I think he was only 17 at our first match at the US Open. He was skinny (but) super fast back then already,” he said.

“But now he‘s a man. (He is) a super experienced player already. It’s going to be a different story.”

Getting all the flashbacks to 2002 as @alexdeminaur writes his way into the history books alongside @lleytonhewitt...#USOpen pic.twitter.com/SuErSWgBoN

— US Open Tennis (@usopen) September 8, 2020