De Minaur continues hot clay court form with opening win in Barcelona

[ad_1] 4 days after being edged out in an epic semi-final duel in Monte Carlo, Alex de Minaur was again on the clay-court victory march in Barcelona.

The Australian star moved easily into the second spherical of the Barcelona Open with a 6-4, 6-4 defeat of Argentina's Tomas Martin Etcheverry.

Speaking earlier than the match, De Minaur had warned he was "beginning to grow to be harmful on this floor".

True to his phrase, the world quantity seven dominated all through. He seized the initiative with early breaks in each units and consolidated with out conceding a single break level.

In distinction, Etcheverry, additionally crushed 6-1, 6-4 by De Minaur on the United Cup in Sydney in December, didn't convert two break factors of his personal. lt was throughout in 82 minutes.

De Minaur final week signalled his clay-court intentions by scorching via to the final 4 on the Monte Carlo Masters, demolishing Daniil Medvedev 6-2, 6-2 within the final 16 earlier than an astonishing 'double bagel' 6-0, 6-0 victory over Grigor Dimitrov gave him a semi-final berth.

Wanting set to grow to be the primary Australian since John Newcombe in 1969 to succeed in the ultimate of the celebrated Masters 1000 occasion, he was solely halted by in a close to three-hour battle that led to a tie-break defeat in opposition to Italy's Lorenzo Musetti, who fought again to win 1-6, 6-4, 7-6 (7/4).

Maybe the victory took a heavy toll for Musetti, who crumbled to a 3-6, 6-1, 6-0 reverse by the hands of Carlos Alcaraz within the remaining 24 hours later.

Again in Barcelona, De Minaur now faces Jacob Fearnley, the British quantity two who claimed his first ATP Tour principal draw win on clay in opposition to Roberto Carballes Baena. The Scot, who made it into the primary draw as a fortunate loser, beat the Spaniard 6-1, 7-5 .

Fearnley was ranked exterior the highest 600 a 12 months in the past, however gained 4 ATP Challenger titles in 2024 to rise inside the highest 100.

In the meantime, Australia's Christopher O'Connell was edged out 7-6 (7/3), 7-6 (7/3) by current Marrakesh champion Luciano Darderi on the BMW Open in Munich.