Alex de Minaur dominated Alejandro Davidovich Fokina to become the first Aussie since Pat Rafter in 2001 to reach the Canadian Masters final, and takes a step closer to the world’s top 10.
Toronto, Canada, 12 August 2023 | AAP/tennis.com.au
Toronto, Canada
Alex de Minaur has overcome blustery conditions to secure a breakthrough 6-1 6-3 victory over Spain’s Alejandro Davidovich Fokina at the Canadian Open to reach the first Masters 1000 final of his career.
The Australian, who was fresh off an upset win over second seed and former world No.1 Daniil Medvedev, delivered a simple game plan in the challenging conditions on Saturday while Davidovich Fokina struggled to find any sort of rhythm throughout the 78-minute match.
“First thing I knew once I stepped out on court it wasn’t going to be pretty so I didn’t expect perfect tennis from my side of the court today,” said De Minaur, who wrote “so windy” on an on-court camera lens after the match in Toronto.
“I just told myself to stay positive, keep competing no matter what and you never know what’s going to happen.
“So I thought I had a great mindset today … didn’t play the best of tennis but I did what needed to be done today in these conditions.”
De Minaur won his seventh ATP Tour title in Acapulco earlier this year and reached the final last week in Los Cabos, also in Mexico.
The world No.18 has risen to 12th in the ATP live rankings with this result, and could rise to No.11 if he wins the title.
He will face either Jannik Sinner or Tommy Paul in that final, and should he win, he would become the first Australian since Lleyton Hewitt 20 years ago to win a Masters crown.
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He is the first Australian to appear in a Canadian Masters final in 22 years, after Pat Rafter lost the 2001 final to Andrei Pavel in 2001. Rafter was also the last Aussie to win the Canadian Masters, in 1998.
De Minaur wasted no time setting the tone against Davidovich Fokina as he broke the Spaniard twice en route to a 5-1 lead before serving out the opening set on his first opportunity.
The 24-year-old Sydneysider maintained the pressure as he broke Davidovich Fokina four times to build a 5-2 lead in the second before sealing the match with his seventh break.
“I’ve had a hell of a week. It’s been the breakthrough that I always knew I had inside of me so…
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