Alex de Minaur has developed a harder mindset that he believes is vital with the intention to to interrupt dangerous habits which have led to a string of early French Open exits.
Australia’s top-ranked star begins his Open marketing campaign in opposition to Belarusian Ilya Ivashka on Monday or Tuesday understanding he has failed to provide his greatest tennis in Paris.
The 24-year-old, who leads a seven-strong Australian males’s contingent at Roland Garros, has gained solely two matches in six earlier Paris journeys.
A partisan Paris crowd was in opposition to the world No.19 at Roland Garros final yr when he fell within the first spherical in a deciding tiebreaker in opposition to Frenchman Hugo Gaston.
“It’s been a tournament where I haven’t had my best results. I’ve had a couple of heartbreakers here and a couple of tough draws as well,” de Minaur advised AAP.
“The last couple of years we’ve played here, it’s been quite cold and rainy and slower conditions. That hasn’t helped me fully. But you just never know.
“The purpose this yr is breaking that dangerous routine of outcomes, as a result of I do really feel like I can do some injury and play effectively.”
The 18th seed reached the Australian Open fourth round before being thrashed by eventual champion Novak Djokovic in the opening grand slam tournament this year.
Australia’s Davis Cup spearhead claimed his seventh ATP Tour title in Acapulco in February and recently reached the quarter-finals of the Barcelona Open in his best run on clay this year.
De Minaur said he was adjusting to the challenges posed by the slow, shifting surface.
He defeated the 86th-ranked Ivashka in three sets in their only meeting in a semi-final in Atlanta last year and believes he can beat the best on clay.
“I believe I’ve at all times had the instruments to do effectively on clay, however simply the mindset was not there,” de Minaur stated.
“Maybe I had the preconceived concept that clay wasn’t my favorite floor, in order that affected my judgement on pictures and, at instances, I used to be just a little bit extra pissed off than I needs to be.
“But I finally got in the right mindset of knowing it is probably not going to be pretty. You are going to get bad bounces. It is going to be tough.
“I do know that I can beat anybody on the floor and make it powerful for anybody.”
Nick Kyrgios is absent through injury but de Minaur, a US Open quarter-finalist in 2020, believes the Australian contingent is capable of strong results at Roland Garros.
De Minaur’s fellow Sydneysiders Max Purcell, who is making his French Open debut, and Chris O’Connell enter the tournament with career-high rankings.
Jason Kubler, Alexei Popyrin, Jordan Thompson and wildcard recipient Thanasi Kokkanakis have all posted good results at different stages in 2023.
The 67th-ranked Purcell will play Thompson in an all-Australian affair, Kokkinakis has drawn 20th seed Dan Evans and O’Connell faces Japan’s Taro Daniel.
Kubler faces qualifying lucky loser Facundo Diaz Acosta while Popyrin faces Russia’s former Australian Open semi-finalist Aslan Karatsev.
“I’m loving seeing each single one of many Aussies doing in addition to they’ll and I believe that is simply the beginning. I actually do assume that,” de Minaur stated.
“There’s so many gamers which have the extent to be even higher than they’re proper now. I believe it is only a query of time. But it is a fantastic place to begin and I’m very excited for the long run.”
In the ladies’s singles, wildcard Kim Birrell makes her French Open main-draw debut in opposition to French hopeful Leolia JeanJean and qualifier Storm Hunter meets Spaniard Nuria Parrizas Diaz.
Source: www.perthnow.com.au
