By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Saturday March 4, 2023
Alex de Minaur claimed his biggest career title with a determined comeback against Tommy Paul in Acapulco.
Photo Source: Getty
Alex de Minaur demonstrated once again on Saturday night in Acapulco why he is such a unique talent on the ATP Tour. The man they call “the Demon” is an indefatigable warrior, a player that never relents in his quest to get the best out of himself.
He did that perfection this week in Acapulco – and particularly over the last two matches – by rallying from a set down in the semifinals and the finals to claim his biggest career title.
On Friday De Minaur took out Holger Rune, clinging to keep a foothold in the match against the hot shot teen until he started to wilt from cramps. Then the Australian pounced to earn a gratifying victory.
In Saturday’s final it was more of the same as De Minaur overcame a red-hot Tommy Paul, 3-6, 6-4, 6-1, much in the same fashion.
Paul, who spent three hours and 26 minutes in his semifinal victory over Taylor Fritz on Friday, came out blazing, but once again De Minaur weathered the storm and turned the match with his trademark grit.
“I just dug deep, managed to scrap my way through it," De Minaur, who will rise to No.18 in Monday’s ATP rankings, said.
De Minaur saved five break points in the opening game of the third set and never looked back against Paul.
“The first game of the third set was exactly like my semi-final against Holger [Rune]. So I had that in the back of my mind, I just told myself to keep pushing. If I could keep pushing myself and get out of that game, the momentum was going to switch. I'm very happy I was able to get out of that."
De Minaur picks up his seventh career title and improves to 12-4 on the season.
Paul drops to 12-4 – and 0-4 against De Minaur, with all those losses coming from the start of 2022.