Australia’s Alex De Minaur has secured a spot in the semi-finals of the ATP Mexico Open after a historic victory over Greece’s Stefanos Tsitsipas. This marked the first win for De Minaur in their 11 meetings. The quarter-final match showcased a thrilling comeback from De Minaur, who secured a 1-6, 6-3, 6-3 victory over Tsitsipas, setting up a last-four clash with Britain’s Jack Draper.
As the third seed, De Minaur had previously been unsuccessful in all 10 encounters against Tsitsipas. Despite Tsitsipas emerging victorious in the first set with a score of 6-1, De Minaur displayed resilience and fought back valiantly to secure the win. In the words of De Minaur, “Every time I’ve got to play him I get reminded about my (record in the) matchup. I’m glad I got one on the board.”
The fifth-seeded Tsitsipas initially dominated the match, breaking De Minaur three times in the first set. However, De Minaur swiftly turned the tables, triumphing in an intense exchange of five service breaks in the second set and successfully saving the only break point he faced in the third. Reflecting on his long-awaited victory against Tsitsipas, De Minaur remarked, “I would like to say that no one beats me 11 times in a row, but hey, Stefanos has had my number for a very long time, so I’m glad I was able to get one back.”
In another quarter-final match, 22-year-old Jack Draper from Britain dominated Serbia’s Miomir Kecmanovic with a commanding score of 6-2, 6-2, securing his place in the semi-finals. The upcoming semi-final will feature second-seeded Holger Rune of Denmark against sixth-seeded Casper Ruud of Norway. Rune secured his spot in the semi-finals for the second consecutive year after defeating Germany’s Dominik Koepfer with a score of 7-6 (7/2), 7-6 (7/0). On the other hand, Ruud demonstrated his resilience by rallying from a set down to defeat American Ben Shelton with a score of 6-7 (7/9), 6-4, 6-4.
As the tournament progresses, fans are eagerly anticipating the upcoming matches and the fierce competition that will unfold in the semi-finals. The Acapulco Open continues to be a platform for showcasing the incredible talent and determination of the world’s top tennis players.
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