Australia guaranteed a presence in the US Open quarter finals as de Minaur sets up all-Aussie showdown against Jordan Thompson
- De Minaur defeated Britain’s Dan Evans
- Will now face a compatriot in the fourth round
- Comes after Popyrin’s victory over Djokovic
Alex de Minaur and Jordan Thompson battle for a spot in the quarter-finals of the US Open as Australia continues its extraordinary battle for the final Grand Slam of the season.
De Minaur defeated British marathon veteran Dan Evans 6-3 6-7 (4-7) 6-0 6-0 to secure a place in the last 16 for the fifth time in a row after the promising Thompson secured another big win on day six in New York.
After beating world number 7 Hubert Hurkacz in the second round, Thompson defeated 30th-seeded Matteo Arnaldi 7-5 6-2 7-6 (7-5) to advance to the fourth round at Flushing Meadows for the second time.
Thompson immediately called the exciting match with his friend from Sydney ‘unreal’.
“Definitely an Aussie in the quarters. I hope it’s me,” he beamed.
Alex de Minaur and Jordan Thompson battle for a spot in the quarter-finals of the US Open as Australia continues its extraordinary battle for the final Grand Slam of the season.
De Minaur defeated British marathon veteran Dan Evans 6-3 6-7 (4-7) 6-0 6-0 to secure a place in the last 16 for the fifth time in a row after the promising Thompson secured another big win on day six in New York.
Alex de Minaur has reached the last 16 at Flushing Meadows for the fifth time in a row
Jordan Thompson has also reached the last 16 and will face de Minaur for a place in the quarter-finals.
After beating world number 7 Hubert Hurkacz in the second round, Thompson defeated 30th-seeded Matteo Arnaldi 7-5 6-2 7-6 (7-5) to advance to the fourth round at Flushing Meadows for the second time.
Thompson immediately called the exciting match with his friend from Sydney ‘unreal’.
“Definitely an Aussie in the quarters. I hope it’s me,” he beamed.
However, Thompson will need some serious braking power when the Australians collide on Monday (Tuesday AEST).
The proud Olympian from Paris is also playing the tennis of his life: he won his first ATP title in Los Cabos this year and reached the final in Atlanta. Now he has equaled his career-best Grand Slam run at the 2020 US Open.
De Minaur is in ominous form as the Australian men enjoy the best campaign they have had since 1997
Thompson has yet to drop a set this season and fell behind 4-2 in the third set against Arnaldi, an Italian 2023 Davis Cup winner who is widely regarded as one of tennis’s brightest young stars.
But true to form, Thompson went straight back to work, breaking Arnaldi in the seventh game and coming back from 3-0 down in the third-set tiebreak to secure victory after two hours and 33 minutes.
“It was a great match for me. The third round is busy. I haven’t been there that many times in my career,” he said.
“I got a little irritated by it, but I handled it really well and came out on top. It’s really nice to win on a Saturday night in New York under the lights.”
The 30-year-old player is on the verge of setting a new personal best in the world’s top 30 and believes he is only just beginning to reach his peak.
“It’s hard to disagree. I feel like I’m getting better as I get older,” Thompson said.
‘This is absolutely the best I’ve played in my career so far and my results and rankings determine that.’
Chris O’Connell couldn’t make his US Open dream come true against Jannik Sinner
But Chris O’Connell’s Open is over after Australia’s fourth representative learned a lesson from world number 1 Jannik Sinner in the third round at Arthur Ashe Stadium.
“This is absolutely the best tennis player I’ve ever played against,” O’Connell said after losing 6-1 6-4 6-2.
O’Connell can take comfort in a personal best prize of $215,000 for reaching the last 32.
Popyrin, the 28th seed, will face world number 20 Frances Tiafoe in the fourth round on Sunday evening (Monday 9am AEST).