Australian Open 2025: Alex de Minaur eases into quarter-finals with win over Alex Michelsen

Alex de Minaur has roared into the quarter-finals of the Australian Open in a rollercoaster round-of-16 victory over American Alex Michelsen.

Alex de Minaur hits a return in his 3-set win over American Alex Michelsen on Monday. Picture: AFP

Alex de Minaur has roared into the quarter-finals of the Australian Open in a rollercoaster round-of-16 victory over American Alex Michelsen. De Minaur barely raised a sweat to take a commanding lead before falling into a hole then powering home for a 6-0, 7-5, 6-3 victory over a 20-year-old opponent who was nervous, error-riddled and overwhelmed inside Rod Laver Arena.

“It means the world,” he said. “There’s nothing that I want to do more than play well here in Australia. Glad I finally made it to the quarter-finals. Let’s go for bigger and better things. Come on. Let’s keep it going.”

De Minaur was calm, clean and composed to bolt to a 6-0, 2-0 advantage as Michelsen initially resembled the most frightened deer in the most blinding headlights. De Minaur held a point to lead 3-0 in the second set, with a double break, and nearly led 4-1, and an early night was on the cards, and you were tempted to invoke the mercy rule, but he took his foot off Michelsen’s throat and nearly squandered the unsquanderable set. He trailed 4-5 in the tiebreaker when he benefited from a mis-hit forehand passing shot before sneaking home.

De Minaur’s up-and-down performance, shifting from perfect to imperfect and ultimately somewhere in between, moved him into a quarter-final on Wednesday against world No. 1 Jannik Sinner. He’s never beaten Sinner but there’s hope – the Italian is fighting illness and was a dizzy, trembling, physical wreck while beating Holger Rune in four sets earlier on Monday.

De Minaur rattled through the first set in only 20 minutes. Speed Demon. Michelsen had scored big-name victories over Stefanos Tsitsipas and Karen Khachanov at Melbourne Park but there was no sign of it here. Ticketholders in RLA didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. Iga Swiatek won the first match of the night session 6-0, 6-1 over Germany’s Eva Lys in just 59 minutes. De Minaur seemed certain to win in equally emphatic and swift fashion. Not exactly a night of dramatic, thrill-a-minute tennis for the patrons, but tension arrived soon enough.

When Michelsen finally won a game at 0-6, 0-2, he received a mock ovation. Then he nearly stole the set. De Minaur rediscovered his flow and reached his first Open quarter-final and fourth appearance in the last eight at a major, proving how entrenched he’s become among the world’s elite. His great challenge is to start beating the Sinners of the world. Only then can he properly threaten for major titles.

His hustle and bustle was in full working order against Michelsen but his first serve was ordinary, hovering at around 30 per cent for most of the night. He won’t get away with that against Sinner. Still, you’re doing something right when you serve so poorly and win handsomely.

“It hasn’t happened overnight,” de Minaur said of his success. “I’m looking forward to playing Jannik. I’m going to have to do something I’ve never done before. Why not start it here?”