Alex de Minaur advances to a 17th ATP singles final in ‘s-Hertogenbosch, earning another new rankings high in his career-best season.
‘s-Hertogenbosch, Netherlands , 16 June 2024 | Vivienne Christie
Alex de Minaur will contest his third singles final this year, and a 17th on the ATP Tour, at the Libema Open in ‘s-Hertogenbosch.
The Australian, seeded No.1at a tournament for the first time in his career, defeated No.3 seed Ugo Humbert 7-6(4) 6-3 in the semifinals to advance.
It followed straight-sets wins this win week over Zizou Bergs and Milos Raonic, with De Minaur now preparing to face Sebastian Korda, the No.7 seed, for the chance to earn an eighth career title.
The victory ensures that De Minaur – who made his top-10 breakthrough while representing Australia at the United Cup in his first event of 2024– will climb to a career-high world No.8 in the rankings.
Should he win the ATP 250 title, the 25-year-old will peak at world No.7.
De Minaur takes a 2-1 record into a fourth career meeting with Korda, including in their last two matches on tour.
Signed. Sealed. Final secured. 💪@alexdeminaur is through after battling past Humbert 7-6(4) 6-3.@LibemaOpen | #LibemaOpen pic.twitter.com/gbMUD5Z15R
— ATP Tour (@atptour) June 15, 2024
Entering the final, he can draw confidence from navigating a difficult match with the crafty Humbert.
After racing to a 4-0 lead, De Minaur required all his guile and court-craft against the left-hander. The Frenchman claimed five straight games before the Aussie regained momentum, winning five straight games and claiming the first set in a tiebreak.
Showcasing his usual athleticism, De Minaur increasingly turned defence into attack at key moments. He closed out a more straightforward second set after securing a break of serve in the eighth game.
“I was able to just sneak that first set and then happy with the break at the end and happy to be here,” said De Minaur, who finished the one-hour, 44-minute encounter with 17 winners against 11 errors and converted three of the 10 break point opportunities he created.
Also a finalist this year in Rotterdam and Acapulco (where he seized is eighth career title), De Minaur is aiming to add to the grass-court trophy he claimed at Eastbourne in 2021.
“At the end of the day it’s just tennis,” De Minaur said. “You run for that yellow ball from one side to the other. You try to have fun and yeah, I’m definitely enjoying…
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