Alex de Minaur underlines a season of remarkable consistency as he defeats Dan Evans to reach the US Open fourth round.
New York, USA , 1 September 2024 | Vivienne Christie
If there are physical challenges for Alex de Minaur at the US Open, his trademark determination appears stronger than ever.
With a 6-3 6-7(4) 6-0 6-0 win over Brit Dan Evans, the No.1 Australian moved into the US Open final 16 for the fourth time in his career.
Even more impressive is that De Minaur is contesting his first singles tournament since suffering a hip injury that forced his withdrawal from the Wimbledon quarterfinals.
The 25-year-old has admitted in New York that with his fitness “not 100 per cent”, he has adjusted his game to manage the injury.
Yet the athletic Australian was ultimately the more composed competitor as he completed victory over Evans in two hours and 48 minutes.
“I’m super proud of what I’ve been able to achieve this year. It’s been tough coming back from injury,” said De Minaur, who reached the quarterfinals at Flushing Meadows in 2020.
“But look, I’m so happy to be back in New York playing these kinds of matches … let’s keep it going.”
Got the job done ✔️ @alexdeminaur gets past Evans 6-3 6-7(4) 6-0 6-0.@usopen | #USOpen pic.twitter.com/tVNIJX6xJf
— ATP Tour (@atptour) September 1, 2024
Evans entered the third-round encounter with physical challenges of his own to manage, with his first-round upset of No.23 seed Karen Khachanov spanning five hours and 35 minutes in the longest recorded match in tournament history.
And while the Brit followed up with a straight-sets win over Argentia’s Mariano Navone, he couldn’t match the early energy that De Minaur brought to their fourth professional match.
De Minaur’s 18 winners – compared to six from Evans – told the story of the 51-minute first-set, which saw the 10th-seeded Australian edge ahead with decisive breaks in the seventh and ninth games.
All gas, no brakes from Alex de Minaur here 💨💨 pic.twitter.com/kUISnzug0O
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) September 1, 2024
There were signs that De Minaur’s preparation for a 29th main-draw appearance at a major had been far from ideal as an uncharacteristic error-riddled service game late in the second set provided Evans with a chance to serve to level the match.
While he didn’t seize his first opportunity, the Brit produced some characteristic shot-making to secure the set in the…
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