MELBOURNE: Local hope Alex de Minaur said he has never felt better after getting his Australian Open off to a flying start Tuesday in the pursuit of a near-five-decade first.
The eighth seed raced through the first set against Dutchman Botic van de Zandschulp but was then made to sweat in Melbourne.
But he kept calm to clock a 6-1, 7-5, 6-4 victory as he bids to become the first men’s home champion since Mark Edmondson in 1976.
While his best result in Melbourne so far is the round of 16, De Minaur is coming off a solid year where he made the quarter-finals at three of the four Slams.
He also qualified for the ATP Finals, reaching a career-high six in the world.
“Honestly, what gives me a sense of calm is knowing the amount of work I’ve put in behind the scenes,” said De Minaur. “Knowing I’ve put in everything in my power to be ready.
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“As soon as I walk on this court, I know every single one of you guys (the crowd) has my back, so I’m going to do my best.
“I feel great,” he added. “It’s been a long time since I felt this good.”
Van de Zandschulp is best known for knocking out world number three Carlos Alcaraz from the 2024 US Open and as the last man to beat Rafael Nadal, ending the Spanish great’s career at the Davis Cup last year.
But the 29-year-old’s career has otherwise been underwhelming and the Australian ripped through the first in just 26 minutes, dominating all facets of the contest.
He grabbed an early break in set two to further assert control, but the Dutchman woke up to temporarily halt the juggernaut.
The Netherlands player got back on serve and worked three set points at 5-4, but he was unable to convert and De Minaur capitalised.
The third set was another close encounter until a double-fault from Van de Zandschulp on break point at 4-4 opened the door and De Minaur jumped through before serving out for the match.
He will next play American qualifier Tristan Boyer.
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