Alex de Minaur will have his “popcorn ready” to watch Saturday night’s clash between Novak Djokovic and Grigor Dimitrov, knowing he will play the winner for a place in the Australian Open quarter-finals.
Australia’s biggest local hope wasted no time surging into the second week at Melbourne Park, dispatching Benjamin Bonzi in straight sets to make the fourth round for a second consecutive year.
The 23-year-old broke his French opponent seven times on Rod Laver Arena in a regulation 7-6 (7-0), 6-2, 6-1 victory lasting only two hours and eight minutes.
“I’m very happy, I can’t lie,” De Minaur said. “Honestly, as a kid, this is what you train for, to be playing on this court in front of you guys on the biggest stages in the world. Every time I get out here I’ve got to pinch myself.”
The wait is now underway for the Djokovic v Dimitrov match, also on Rod Laver, which will decide whether the Sydney-born world No 24 will find himself coming up against the nine-time Australian Open champion for the first time.
“I’ll def have my popcorn ready, it’s going to be a hell of a match,” De Minaur said. “Novak and Grigor are both hell of competitors,” he said. “i’ve got another chance to go out here, play against the best players in the world and show what I’m made of.”
There will be some channel-changing, though, with Australian wildcard Alexei Popyrin also in action against American Ben Shelton on John Cain Arena, at the same time as Andy Murray backs up from his epic all-nighter against Thanasi Kokkinakis to play Roberto Bautista Agut on Margaret Court Arena.
“I hope everyone who is on the is court right now is going to go and support Alexei Popyrin,” he said. “Us Aussies, we stick together, we’ve got a bright future ahead. Let’s get Pop over the line today.”
