Alex de Minaur holds his nerve after dicey first set to burst into third round
Updated . First published at
Alex de Minaur shrugged off a sluggish start to his match with qualifier Arthur Cazaux to book his place in the third round at Wimbledon.
Despite stumbling in the opening set, an impressive finish from de Minaur saw the 11th seed triumph 4-6, 6-2, 6-4, 6-0.
Eventually finding his rhythm, de Minaur only dropped six games in the last three sets and even handed his opponent a bagel in the fourth.
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Alex de Minaur celebrates winning the third set against Arthur Cazaux at Wimbledon. Mike Hewitt via Getty Images
Commenting on the match, Australian tennis great Jelena Dokic praised de Minaur's mental fortitude and tactical adjustment.
"I really liked his composure and the fact that he didn't panic at all after the first set and made adjustments, problem solved and found his way," she said on Nine's coverage.
"He didn't have a great start but he was able to play himself in. So, great signs for de Minaur going into the third round."
Ranked 115th in the world, the Frenchman surprised everyone by taking the first set 6-4.
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In a troubling start for de Minaur, he made 14 unforced errors in comparison to Cazaux's seven through the opening eight games.
Another further error off the serve in the ninth game by the top-ranked Australian handed Cazaux the opportunity to break and challenge for set point — a chance which he took.
Alex de Minaur plays a forehand against Arthur Cazaux. Mike Hewitt via Getty Images
"It is very unusual the amount of errors [de Minaur] has had in the first set," Dokic said in commentary for Nine.
A short break to recoup for the second set proved to be exactly what de Minaur needed as Cazaux became a victim of his own power.
The 22-year-old's larger swing with his forehand saw him caught deep in "no man's land" as de Minaur continued to win points off a short ball near the net.
Thirty-three minutes was all that was needed for de Minaur to claim the second set 6-2.
The turnaround was sparked by de Minaur's uptick in first-serve percentage.
The third set played out on serve until Cazaux made his first double fault of the match on break point in the eighth game.
De Minaur then served out the third set 6-4 before roaring at the crowd.
Despite a lengthy break in between the third and fourth sets as Cazaux made his way to the bathroom, de Minaur picked up where he left off and polished off the result.
De Minaur will next play the winner of Danish qualifier August Holmgren and Czech 21st seed Tomas Machac later in the session.
He remains on a collision course with Novak Djokovic if both progress deep into the tournament.
