The good, the bad and winning ugly – Demon’s apologetic search for his best stuff

Lleyton Hewitt kept saying good! Alex de Minaur kept saying sorry! Their training session had a sense of urgency. Demon has reached the last 16 at the Australian Open by winning ugly.

Alex de Minaur trains ahead of his fourth round match on Monday. Picture: Mark Stewart

Good. Good. Good. Sorry!

Lleyton Hewitt kept encouraging Alex de Minaur, who kept apologising for errors, and kept searching for his mojo, and kept furrowing his brow, and kept staring at his strings as though they were misbehaving, in a crucial practice session ahead of Monday’s fourth-round Australian Open clash with powerful young American Alex Michelsen.

Supporters were packed 20-deep around Court 16 at Melbourne Park. One of de Minaur’s first forehands nearly hit the back fence on the full. Sorry! Others collapsed into the net. Sorry!

On it went, the good, the bad and the ugly of ballstriking from de Minaur, who gave the impression of scrambling for con­fidence, as if he was cramming for an exam he wasn’t entirely sure he would pass.

Good, good, good from Hewitt. From de Minaur, sorry! His marathon four-set win over Argen­tina’s Francisco Cerundolo on Saturday was a prime example of an athlete winning ugly. By no stretch of the imagination did he play great tennis, hence the mega-serious session on Sunday. You can reach the last 16 at the Open by winning ugly; you cannot win the tournament without a more attractive brand.

“We move on,” de Minaur said. “Hopefully bigger and better things coming the next round.”

Of course, he hasn’t become a hacker overnight. He’s the world No. 8 for a reason. He’s just lost his groove. Spent Sunday on Court 16 trying to rediscover his best before it’s too late.

“I’ve played Michelsen twice,” de Minaur said. “One went his way, one went mine. Two different matches. One on clay, one on hard. He’s been playing really well. He’s a dangerous opponent with a lot of confidence.

“He’s taken some big scalps this week so I’m ready for a battle. He’s going to go out there with no fear. I’m going to do my best to make it difficult for him.”

Good, bad or ugly from de Minaur on Monday? Australia’s former world No. 1 Pat Rafter said: “I back him against Michelsen. I know Michelsen has a really big game. Can he keep it up together against someone like Alex?

“I think it’s a bad match-up for Michelsen, personally, but this guy has a really big game. If he can keep it together, he can cause a lot of destruction, Michelsen. But I like Alex there.”

Told de Minaur could face world No. 1 Jannik Sinner in the quarter-finals, Rafter said: “That’s not a great match-up for Alex.”

Rafter was speaking after being named vice-captain of de Minaur’s World team at this year’s Laver Cup. Asked how he could help de Minaur improve, the noted serve-and-volley merchant said: “I’ve spoken to Alex a couple of times and I think there are some things I can help him with transitioning to the net. He’s very good. He’s getting better and better all the time. Alex is exciting, and if I can help him in any way … he’s a kid who really wants to learn, really wants to develop his game. I’ll be there if I can help him in any way.”

Belarus’s Aryna Sabalenka celebrates beating Russia's Mirra Andreeva in their women's singles match on day eight of the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne on January 19. Picture: AFP

Two-time defending champion Aryna Sabalenka won beautifully on Sunday after a couple of unsightly victories to start her tournament. She trounced 14th-seeded Russian Mirra Andreeva 6-1, 6-2 in a swift 62 minutes on Rod Laver Arena, reaching the quarter-finals in time for lunch. De Minaur could take heart. One match can be all it takes to relocate your best stuff.

“Definitely when you struggle with your game and you have to overcome a lot of things in the match and you still win the match, it gives you so much confidence going into the next one,” Sabalenka said. “You know that no matter what is going to happen in the match, you’re going to be there, you’re going to be fighting. Your fighting spirit is there, you know?

“Definitely those first matches gave me so much belief that no matter what, I’m going to be there, I’m going to be fighting.”

The third-seeded American Coco Gauff won ugly over Belinda Bencic. She was the highest paid female athlete in the world last year, according to Forbes magazine, raking in $49m in prizemoney and endorsements, but she couldn’t buy a fluent forehand in the first set. No matter. She survived 5-7, 6-2, 6-1. The wonderful thing about an awkward victory? It’s still a victory.

“Geez, I’d rather win ugly any day over losing pretty, right?” De Minaur said. “Ultimately, I’ve lived to fight another day. My next one, I’ll make sure I bring a better level.”