Alex De Minaur has come from behind to claim one of the biggest wins of his career, beating the American 7th seed Tommy Paul 3-6 6-4 6-1 in Acapulco, Mexico.
This is De Minaur’s first ever ATP 500 win, with his 6 previous title wins all coming from ATP 250 events.
World number 23 Paul jumped out of the gates taking the first set 6 games to 3, but it was the trademark chasing and scrapping of every ball that got De Minaur back into the match. With the scores at 5-4 and on serve, De Minaur broke Paul to force a 3rd and deciding set.
Both players were coming off 3 set marathons in their respective semi-finals so fitness was going to be a big factor in the final set.
After saving 5 break points in his opening service game, De Minaur put his foot down and raced to a 4-0 lead whilst Paul looked to be feeling tired. The Australian open semi-finalist was no match for De Minaur in the final set who seemed to thrive the longer the match went, taking the final set 6-1.
The 24-year-old Australian was understandably thrilled to win the hard-fought final “It feels great, it feels amazing,” De Minaur told ATP TV.
“I know the hard work I’ve put in to be here, and it’s good to see the results. It’s not always that you win a tournament and get to finish a week unbeaten so I’ll definitely cherish this heading into Indian Wells and Miami.”
The world number 23 was gracious in defeat, “Demon played an unbelievable match,” Paul said. “I just respect you so much and I’m happy for you. Congratulations.”
This win moves De Minaur back into the top 20 with a ranking of 18, just 3 shy of his career high 15.
