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Demon one win away from title | 01:20
Alex de Minaur has the chance to win a 10th ATP singles title, and his guaranteed a career best world ranking but Carlos Alcaraz stands in his way as the Australian stormed into the Rotterdam Open final for a second straight year.
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Since being comprehensively beaten by eventual champion Jannik Sinner in the quarter-finals of the Australian Open, de Minaur has not dropped a set in Rotterdam, nor did he in his Davis Cup appearance, and he has only lost one service game en route to the final in the Dutch city.
The third seed, and world number eight, ruthlessly brushed aside Italian qualifier Mattia Belluci 6-1 6-2 in a little over an hour in the early hours of Sunday morning Australian time to book his date with Alcaraz after last year falling at the final hurdle against Sinner.
Belluci enjoyed a “life-changing week” with the world No. 92 knocking out Daniil Medvedev and Stefanos Tsitsipas during his charge to the semi-finals, but de Minaur proved too hot to handle, ensuring he will jump to world No. 6 when the rankings are updated on Monday.
“I do my best every time I step out on court,” de Minaur said after the match.
“I try to win every point I can, and I’ve ended up having a couple of good weeks in a row.
“Hopefully now I can do one better than last year.”
De Minaur has won more matches on Tour than anyone else so far this year with 11 victories, and his quarter-final appearance at Melbourne Park made it four straight majors that he has reached the last eight.
He is also looking to become the first Australian since his mentor Lleyton Hewitt in 2004 to win the title in Rotterdam, and de Minaur credited his hard work and determination for his improved results.
“There’s a lot of hard work that goes in behind the scenes and these are the rewards,” De Minaur said.
“You’re not guaranteed results putting in hard work, but you sure as hell giving yourself the best chance of succeeding.
“And for me, that’s always been my goal, my motivation to get the absolute most out of myself and I”m very happy with how I’m going, where I’m at.
“More than anything, I just show up every day and put my head down. I do my best every time I step out on court. I try, I try to win every point I can, and I’ve ended up having a couple of good weeks in a row.
“And hopefully now I can do one better than last year.”
Meanwhile, world number three Alcaraz moved through to the final after a more gruelling encounter with eighth seed Hubert Hurkacz 6-4, 6-7 (5/7), 6-3.
Alcaraz and de Minaur last met in the final at Queen’s, a lead-up event to Wimbledon, in 2023 with the Spaniard prevailing on the grass 6-4 6-4.
However, de Minaur believes he has more in him than simply facing the likes of Sinner and Alcaraz, neither of whom he has beaten, in big matches.
“I don’t think that’s my ceiling,” De Minaur added. “I think I’ve got a little bit more to go and hopefully I can keep on pushing this year and finish strong.”
