Alex de Minaur is done to the 2nd circular of the Australian Open aft overcoming a shaky commencement against Italian Lorenzo Musetti to clinch the lucifer successful 4 sets, 3-6, 6-3, 6-0, 6-3.
De Minaur kick-started his 2022 Australian Open run with a worrying opening acceptable aft conceding 2 breakpoints and notching 11 unforced errors.
Fortunately for the Australian, losing the opener spurred him to spell up a gear, notching the aboriginal interruption successful the 2nd set.
After taking the 2nd set, it was a comfy thrust for de Mindaur, who dominated connected service successful the 3rd and 4th sets to clinch a first-round triumph against the No.60-ranked Musetti.
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"He's (Musetti) a precise talented player, helium went 5 sets with Novak Djokovic [at the French Open], truthful I knew it would beryllium a pugnacious match," de Minaur said during his on-court interview.
"I was blessed I was capable to crook it astir aft the archetypal acceptable and play immoderate bully tennis."
The 22-year-old credited the assemblage for helping him enactment positive, urging the fans astatine Margaret Court Arena to fto him cognize if does the other successful aboriginal matches.
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"The astir important happening is, I stayed affirmative passim the full match," helium added.
"Positive vibes lone for 2022. Basically, I'm not allowed to get antagonistic connected court.
"So if you guys spot maine antagonistic connected tribunal - marque definite to archer maine off."
Alex de Minaur loses footwear and keeps playing
Early connected successful the match, de Minaur had 1 of the astir bizarre moments tennis tin nutrient erstwhile he was forced to support playing aft losing a footwear mid-point.
He was near asking questions of seat umpire Eva Asderaki-Moore aft play was allowed to continue, with his near footwear lying connected the court.
"Look astatine what happened! I've ne'er seen that before," said erstwhile British prima Samantha Smith successful commentary for Nine.
"I was waiting for umpire Eva Asderaki-Moore to telephone a fto here.
"He did really spell up to umpire Eva Asderaki-Moore astatine the extremity and say, 'Is that not a let?'. But helium didn't propulsion it.
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