Alex De Minaur continues with a chance for Turin and goes to the quarterfinals in Vienna | ATP Tour

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De Minaur continues with a chance for Turin and goes to the quarterfinals in Vienna

The Australian will seek the semis against #NextGenATP Mensik

October 24, 2024

Can Alex de Minaur begin a late climb to qualify for the Nitto ATP Finals?

The Australian advanced to the quarter-finals at the Erste Bank Open in Vienna after Flavio Cobolli was forced to retire losing 7-6(2), 3-1. The Italian had recovered from a break in the 10th game, but was unable to fight off a shoulder injury.

“I felt a little more comfortable playing and moving, I think overall it was a very good level,” said de Minaur, who improved to 43-14 on the season. “I wish Flavio a speedy recovery. He is a great player, a great talent, and I am sure that the entire tennis world wants to see him back on the court very soon.”

De Minaur is ninth in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin, just 265 points behind eighth-placed Andrey Rublev, who performs on Friday in Basel. The 25-year-old aims to make his debut at the Nitto ATP Finals after a stellar season. “I’m doing everything I can to focus on myself.

The second seed will next face #NextGenATP Jakub Mensik for a place in the ATP 500 semifinals. The Czech continues to add chapters of success to his season of emergence into the ATP Tour and this Thursday he beat Miomir Kecmanovic 6- 3, 7-6(7).

It is the fifth time this year that the #NextGenATP Czech appears in the quarterfinals, after previously doing so in Doha (final), Mallorca, Umag (semifinals) and the ATP Masters 1000 in Shanghai. Mensik remained firm on his serve during the hour and 53 minutes that the match lasted, winning 86% of the points in play with his first serve (48/56) and saving the four break opportunities he conceded to the Serbian, according to the Infosys ATP statistics.

With this victory, the 19-year-old places himself in third position in the PIF ATP Live Race to Jeddah, just 25 points behind the second place occupied by the American Alex Michelsen. After a great season that has allowed him to enter the Top 50 of the PIF ATP Rankings, he is one of the main contenders for the Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF next December.

The Czech from the qualifying phase awaits a rival in the quarterfinals, who will emerge from the match that brings together the No. 2 seed Alex de Miñaur with the Italian Flavio Cobolli.

His compatriot Tomas Machac secured two Czech representatives in the Vienna quarterfinals, after knocking out No. 3 seed Grigor Dimitrov in the second round 6-7(5), 6-4, 6-3 in two hours and 31 minutes.

It is the fourth victory of the season against a Top 10 rival in the eleven games they have played. His most recent victory against a player of this level had been achieved at the ATP Masters 1000 in Shanghai against No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz last month.

In the quarterfinals, Machac will be met on the other side of the net by No. 7 seed Jack Draper. The Briton completed a superb performance with his serve, with 15 aces and 91% effectiveness with the first serve (31/34) to beat Luciano Darderi 7-5, 6-1 in one hour and 16 minutes.

Draper, 22, recorded his 50th hardcourt victory and advanced to the quarterfinals of an ATP Tour tournament for the 16th time in his career (he has a 7-8 record in this round). He is the seventh Briton in the Vienna quarter-finals, after Tim Henman (4), Greg Rusedski (3), Daniel Evans (2), Andy Murray (2), Mark Cox (1) and Kyle Edmund (1).

For his part, Lorenzo Musetti, also an Italian, qualified among the top eight of the ATP 500 in Vienna, after Gael Monfils could not take to the court this Thursday. The No. 6 seed, who advanced by walkover, will be the rival of top seed Alexander Zverev.