Alex de Minaur has added a brand new coach and is popping to know-how in his quest for a breakthrough main title at subsequent week’s Australian Open.
The 23-year-old Australian continued his sturdy begin to the yr by beating former US Open champion Dominic Thiem 6-3 6-4 at their exhibition match on the Kooyong Classic on Tuesday.
De Minaur additionally posted a rousing victory over reigning Open champion and world No.2 Rafael Nadal within the United Cup final week.
It continued a current run of successful outcomes in opposition to grand slam champions, with De Minaur additionally beating Marin Cilic, Daniil Medvedev and Andy Murray previously three months.
Ranked No.24, De Minaur has introduced former Australian Davis Cup participant Peter Luczak in to his teaching workers, becoming a member of Adolfo Gutierrez who has coached him since he was 9.
Luczak additionally coaches fellow Australians Jordan Thompson and John Millman and will likely be with de Minaur on a part-time foundation.
“Peter Luczak is going to be a great addition to the team,” de Minaur informed reporters at Kooyong.
“He’s one of the most positive guys out there and he’s done a lot of years on tour as well so it’ll be a great little partnership to kind of split weeks between my basically childhood coach Adolfo and now Peter.
“It’s going to be nice to only swap to a few weeks right here, a few weeks there and I believe it should deliver a distinct set of eyes, which is all the time nice.”
De Minaur wore a sports tracker during his match against Thiem, desperate to find an edge to help him better last year’s fourth round Open showing, his finest result in Melbourne.
“This is one thing new, one thing we have been attempting not too long ago,” he stated.
“This was likelihood to get as shut as I presumably can to getting the info that I might in a match, so it is going to be nice to see somewhat bit extra knowledge – see bits and items the place I can enhance and get higher. Ultimately that’s what I’ve been attempting to do my complete profession.”
A finalist at Melbourne Park in 2020, Thiem received a wildcard into this year’s major after a serious wrist injury which led to his ranking plummeting from a career-high of three to outside the top 300 last year.
He has worked his way back up to No. 99, gained a start at Kooyong through the injury-enforced withdrawal of world No.1 Carlos Alcaraz, and says he is ready to tackle the Open.
“It was a good match – I used to be joyful that I get the possibility to play right here you understand as an alternative of Carlos Alcaraz,” the 29-year-old Austrian stated.
“I used to be actually joyful about it to get two good matches at the moment and tomorrow and was was actually respectable.
“Little bit different conditions to Melbourne Park but still a good opportunity and good experience those two sets and will help me for next week.”
