De Minaur escapes humidity with straight-sets win

Alex de Minaur beat the heat with a straight-sets win which sent the Australian into the fourth round of a humidity-soaked Shanghai Master on Monday.

De Minaur stands provisional seventh in the points race to the eight-man season finals next month in Turin and strengthened his position with a victory 6-1, 7-5 defeat of Pole Kamil Majchrzak.

De Minaur was joined as a winner in Shanghai by Felix Auger-Aliassime as the Canadian struggles to book his ticket to Turin. FAA advanced over Jesper de Jong 6-4, 7-5. 

Against de Minaur, Majchrzak was broken five times as his Aussie opponent claimed a Tour-leading 36th hard court win this season.

“I came into this week knowing how tough the conditions were going to be,” said De Minaur, who won in 87 minutes. “The mindset ultimately is surviving, finding ways, and getting ready for battles every time you step out on the court.

“There is no such thing as easy matches, especially in these conditions, so I’m glad I was able to compose myself in the second set, get the break back, and finish it off in two.”

He admitted: “If we had gone into a third, it would have been very physical.”

He next plays Portugal’s Nuno Borges, who broke local hearts with a 7-6 (5), 4-6, 6-3 win over No. 237 Shanug Juncheng to end Chinese interest.