Along with the world No 24, Alex de Minaur will lead the local charge in Melbourne with nine other men and six women also flying the flagIn a regular lead-in to the Australian Open, Alex de Minaur would be a headline act in Melbourne’s metropolitan newspapers and a lead item on all TV news bulletins. He defeated reigning Australian Open champion Rafael Nadal in the United Cup and US Open winner Dominic Thiem at Kooyong prior to Thursday’s outing against Andy Murray.All this after leading Australia to the Davis Cup final in Spain last November. Aged 23, the 2020 US Open quarter-finalist is in strong form and entering the golden years of his career. He will receive strong support as...
The former Australian Open champion is not competing in Melbourne this year, having rejected the grind of the tourA long time ago, I took a part-time job in a high-street clothing store. It was late November, and amid the chaos of the Christmas rush I quickly discovered that nobody had the faintest idea what I was meant to be doing or whether I was actually doing it. One morning I overslept and queasily awaited the shrill phone call from a supervisor. It never came. The day passed.More days passed. Days turned into weeks. The payslips continued to hit the doormat. If there was any faint paroxysm of guilt or shame at taking this multinational giant for £5.15 an hour while...
Rafael Nadal’s comments best signify the conflict between those who see the United Cup’s potential and what it currently isFiring forehand winners past a legend and pumping his fists in a ferocious manner, Alex de Minaur gave the United Cup the local morale boost it needed on Monday night in Sydney.In front of an adoring audience at Ken Rosewall Arena, the Australian spearhead overcame a set deficit on his favourite court to defeat Rafael Nadal 3-6 6-1 7-5 for the first time. But his thrilling victory in the inaugural competition also served as a reminder of what Australian tennis has lost given the remodelling of the Davis and Billie Jean King Cups in recent years. Continue reading...
With a series win in the bag, injuries to consider and a looming visit to India, the hosts have the freedom, scope and necessitySydney is a place for experiments. Attending your first Mardi Gras parade, fomenting the Rum Rebellion, paying $4m for a dilapidated single-front terrace house: it’s all about opening your eyes with something that you may never have anticipated. There will be experiments for the third Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground this week, then. The Australian men have already won the series against South Africa, so they have the freedom. They are missing two first-choice players through injury, so they have the scope. And they are eyeing a difficult visit to India in a month’s time, so...
The nine-time Australian Open winner is keen to put debacle of deportation behind him but his public reputation is tarnishedNovak Djokovic’s quiet return to Australia this week could not be starker in contrast to the absurdity surrounding his arrival in Melbourne and subsequent deportation last January.There has been no social media post nor any official words from the nine-time Australian Open champion as yet, though he did practise on Wednesday at Memorial Drive in Adelaide. Continue reading...