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De Minaur looks ahead after US Open exit

3 minute read

World No.3 Dominic Thiem has ended Australian tennis star Alex de Minaur's breakout run to the US Open quarter-finals with a straight-sets win in New York.

DOMINIC THIEM of Austria plays a backhand against Novak Djokovic of Serbia in the 2018 Kooyong Classic at Kooyong in Melbourne, Australia.
DOMINIC THIEM of Austria plays a backhand against Novak Djokovic of Serbia in the 2018 Kooyong Classic at Kooyong in Melbourne, Australia. Picture: Daniel Pockett/Getty Images

Chastened by a crushing US Open quarter-final loss, Alex de Minaur is vowing to hit back even harder in pursuit of grand slam glory.

Austrian title favourite Dominic Thiem ruthlessly ended de Minaur's New York campaign with a 6-1 6-2 6-4 victory at Flushing Meadows on Thursday.

Too solid off the ground, Thiem, the 2020 Australian Open runner-up and three-times grand slam finalist, needed a tick over two hours to send the Australian No.1 packing.

But, very much a young man in a hurry, 21-year-old de Minaur needed even less time to heed the lessons from the brutal defeat in his maiden last-eight appearance at a major.

"Hopefully with years to come I'll get bigger, I'll get stronger, I'll grow into my body a little bit more, then it will just be another level," he said.

"Still, I don't want to wait for those couple years. I want to be making strides as soon as I can.

"I'll put in all the work I can to keep putting myself in these positions.

"I'm not satisfied with where I am.

"This is where I want to be, but I'm not satisfied just coming here and getting to quarters any more.

"I want to keep on pushing."

In commentary, former world No.1 John McEnroe claimed de Minaur was on a fast track to the top 10.

But he was no match for world No.3 Thiem on this occasion.

Runner-up to Novak Djokovic at Melbourne Park in January and twice beaten by claycourt king Rafael Nadal in French Open deciders, Thiem broke de Minaur's serve seven times to further underline his title credentials.

"Obviously the way I'm feeling now, it's just disappointed with the way my US Open campaign has finished," de Minaur said.

"I would have loved to put more of a fight.

"He played at a very high level and I wasn't able to lift mine up to meet his.

"Still got lots of, lots of things to work on. I guess that's an upside.

"It's a step, a learning curve.

"I wish I could just all of a sudden flick the switch and start winning slams.

"It's a slow process."

De Minaur has little time to pick up the pieces and must turn his attention to the second major of the year, the rescheduled French Open starting on September 27.

He will be Australia's best hope on the Roland Garros clay after women's world No.1 Ashleigh Barty this week opted against defending her crown during the coronavirus pandemic.

"It's probably the quickest transition I'm ever going to have to make," de Minaur said.

"I'm not used to this. I can't tell you how it's going to be. It's a little bit of just wait and see.

"I'll probably be on a flight to Rome tomorrow and get ready for that one.

"It's a very quick transition. I guess it's a good thing because it meant I went deep here."

De Minaur is projected to rise one spot in the rankings to world No.27 after bettering his career-best grand slam run by one round in New York.

HOW THE AUSSIES FARED AT THE US OPEN ON THURSDAY (PREFIX DENOTES SEEDING)

Men's singles, quarter-finals

21-Alex de Minaur lost to 2-Dominic Thiem (AUT) 6-1 6-2 6-4

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