If he doesn't already, #NextGenATP Aussie Alex de Minaur will soon have a reputation on the ATP World Tour as that of a relentless fighter. The 19-year-old battled for two hours and 34 minutes on Friday to pick up his first ATP World Tour Masters 1000 victory, coming back from a set down against German Jan-Lennard Struff to advance 3-6, 7-6(3), 7-6(5) at the BNP Paribas Open.
De Minaur broke the 6'5” German only one time but he was clutch in the tie-breaks to celebrate victory during his Masters 1000 debut.
“After pretty much every point you've got to regroup. Whether it goes well, whether it goes badly, you can't dwell on the past. You've got to move on. The quicker you move on, the quicker you can get back on what you want to do. And that's playing tennis and playing well,” he said.
“That's what I think about every time I go out there on court, to leave it all out there, every point. No matter the result and no matter how I'm playing or whatever happens, you know, just to go out there and give 150 per cent.”
The Aussie already has eight wins on the young season. De Minaur reached the semi-finals at the Brisbane International presented by Suncorp (l. to Harrison) and made his maiden ATP World Tour final at the Sydney International (l. to Medvedev). He will next play Juan Martin del Potro, who won his 21st tour-level title earlier this month at the Abierto Mexicano Telcel presentado por HSBC in Acapulco.
“It's going to be a fun match. I'm looking forward to it. It's probably going to be another match where I have to do a lot of running, but I'm looking forward to it,” de Minaur said.
#NextGenATP teenagers have had a perfect start in the desert, going 4-0 as 17-year-old Felix Auger-Aliassime, 18-year-old Denis Shapovalov and 19-year-old Stefanos Tsitsipas also were victorious.
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In other action, two months after Tennys Sandgren checked off a career milestone by reaching his maiden Grand Slam quarter-final in Melbourne, the American celebrated another landmark achievement by winning his first Masters 1000 match.
Sandgren, who was also making his Masters 1000 debut, advanced when Georgian Nikoloz Basilashvili retired down 3-6, 1-2. The 26-year-old American improved to 6-5 on the season and will next meet 29thseed David Ferrer of Spain.
Hungary's Marton Fucsovics, who also enjoyed a breakthrough at the Australian Open, earned his first win in Indian Wells, advancing past Serbian veteran Viktor Troicki 7-6(3), 6-1. Fucsovics made his first Grand Slam fourth round in January, and he will try to reach the Round of 32 at the BNP Paribas Open when he faces second seed Marin Cilic.