De Minaur, Teeming With Confidence, Eager For More

A beaming Alex de Minaur is brimming with confidence -- and for good reason.

On Tuesday, the #NextGenATP star defeated Laslo Djere 6-1, 6-4 in the first round of the Rolex Paris Masters to set up a second-round showdown against ninth seed Roberto Bautista Agut. De Minaur defeated Bautista Agut one month ago in the semi-finals at the Huajin Securities Zhuhai Championships, their only previous FedEX ATP Head2Head encounter.

“I'm very happy with today's result,” De Minaur told ATPTour.com. “It's been a difficult last few months for me, and not just physically. Mentally as well; things have been very complicated.”

The physical complications the Australian endured were due to a groin injury he sustained at the start of the year. Despite the injury, the 2018 Next Gen ATP Finals runner-up managed to lift his first ATP Tour title by triumphing at Sydney. The pain grew worse as the season progressed, however, until finally the Australian was forced to reassess matters after a first-round loss to Marcos Giron at Indian Wells.

For over two months, De Minaur's career was placed on hold as he recuperated at his residence in Alicante, Spain. The 20-year-old returned from the sidelines at the Millennium Estoril Open in late April, where he was defeated in the first round. Doubt, as well as the reality of returning to competitive play after suffering an injury, began to set in as De Minaur dropped three of his next four matches before reaching the quarter-finals at the Libema Open in June.

His dip in form eventually resulted in a drop out of the Top 30 in the ATP Rankings. It wasn't until July when De Minaur turned things around by triumphing at the BB&T Atlanta Open by defeating American Taylor Fritz in the final. By regaining his form, De Minaur restored his faith in his potential while proving he has the mental fortitude to overcome obstacles like injury.

“At the very least, I've been through (a comeback) already, so I can say I've done it before," De Minaur said. "It's made me stronger. I've worked with my psychologist to get to where I want to be on my road back. I've had an incredible year, but I'm hungry for more. I want to keep improving. I'm looking forward to finishing the year strongly.”

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Following the victory in Atlanta, De Minaur claimed his third ATP Tour title by downing Adrian Mannarino in the final at Zhuhai. The Aussie followed that performance with an impressive showing at the Swiss Indoors Basel, where he reached the final before falling to Roger Federer on Sunday.

As De Minaur sees it, the injury not only made him stronger, it also proved to be a springboard that launched him into the next phase of his career.

“Everything that's happening now is new to me,” De Minaur said. “It was difficult to defend all the points I had earned last season. The injury, the fall in the rankings, dealing with all the pressure... I still managed to win three titles this year. I'm proud of all the work I've done with my team and the progress we've made to get to this point. We've put in a lot of hours and sacrificed so much for moments like these.”

The moments have gotten only sweeter since De Minaur's return from the setback: He's currently ranked a career-high No. 18 in the ATP Rankings, and he's into the second round at the last ATP Masters 1000 event of the season. He's also set to play next week at the Next Gen ATP Finals in Milan, but for now, the young Aussie is taking things one match at a time.

“I'm not focused on anything except today's victory," De Minaur said. “I take everything match-by-match, day-by-day.”

from Tennis - ATP World Tour https://ift.tt/2C7oktv