Wimbledon 2022: Alex de Minaur beats Jack Draper, with girlfriend Katie Boulter on hand

As his British girlfriend Katie Boulter watched on following her own Wimbledon victory, Australia’s Alex de Minaur conjured some more magic to advance to third round.

Australia’s Alex de Minaur celebrates his Wimbledon second round victory over Great Britain’s Jack Draper. Picture: Getty Images

Australia’s never-say-die tennis star Alex de Minaur outmanoeuvred British star Jack Draper in a gruelling match held under a closed roof to progress through to the third round of Wimbledon.

De Minaur’s enthralling win, after being a set down, came on the same night that his partner Katie Boulter, of Britain, caused an upset in beating former world number one Karolina Pliskova on centre court in three sets.

Katie Boulter of Great Britain is all smiles as her boyfriend Alex de Minaur beats her countryman Jack Draper at Wimbledon. Picture: Getty Images

Seeded no.19, de Minaur, who is from Sydney, turned the game around in the second set tie-break to take his second round rain interrupted match 5-7, 7-6, 6-2, 6-3.

“He was playing at a very high level, and I just kind of hung in there,’’ de Minaur said.

“Then all of a sudden, I played a great tie-break, and you could just tell how the whole momentum switched. You know, you could tell he was maybe struggling a bit physically, and I was able to pounce on that.”

De Minaur is on the men’s side of the draw that has opened up because of several Covid-19 withdrawals. He will now play British wildcard Liam Broady on Saturday for a place. in the fourth round against either 29th seeded American Jenson Brooksby or Chilean Cristian Garin.

"This is just ridiculous"

The reactions say it all 😲​#Wimbledon | @alexdeminaurpic.twitter.com/VCkhrAklYm

— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) June 30, 2022

A likely quarterfinal date with either fourth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas or Australia’s Nick Kyrgios awaits after that.

“I’m just stoked to be where I am right now,’’ de Minaur said.

“So I will cherish tonight. I will have an easy day tomorrow. I will be hopefully ready to go straight back again.”