Alex de Minaur produced another impressive display to book his place in the fourth round.
The Australian number one defeated Tiafoe in straight sets, 6-3, 6-4, 7-5.
It wasn’t as easy as the scoreline suggests, though, as De Minaur was made to work for his spot in the last 16.
Who has been the best player at the Australian Open so far?
Tiafoe certainly pushed De Minaur during the latter stages, threatening to break back and send the third set into a tiebreaker.
Holding firm, the Aussie picked up another big win at the Australian Open.
Talking to Jim Courier after the match, De Minaur sent a message to Tiafoe.
Alex de Minaur has ‘huge respect’ for Frances Tiafoe after Australian Open battle
“Look, Frances [Tiafoe] is a hell of a competitor, hell of a player, it was a hell of a battle, so huge respect to him,” said De Minaur.
“I played some of my best tennis of the tournament for two and a half sets, and then he just lifted it when he needed it, started going deep, returning with some great depth, taking the racket out of my hand.
Alex de Minaur vs Frances Tiafoe – Match stats
| Player | Aces | Double faults | 1st Serve % | Win % on 1st Serve | Win % on 2nd Serve | Break points |
| Alex de Minaur | 8 | 6 | 62% | 77% | 65% | 5/12 |
| Frances Tiafoe | 6 | 1 | 59% | 58% | 55% | 2/5 |
- Alex de Minaur defeated Frances Tiafoe, 6-3, 6-4, 7-5 (2 hours, 43 minutes)
“I just had to manage it.
“It was quite stressful at the end, but very relieved that I got over the line.”
Courier then asked De Minaur how he manages the pressure of playing at his home Grand Slam.
“In my brain, I don’t associate playing in Australia with playing with pressure,” he said.
“I just associate it with playing with excitement.
“Since I was a little kid, this is where I wanted to be, playing in front of packed crowds.
“I’m truly fortunate to be in this position, and yes, it gets stressful at times, but it’s only because I want it so bad, so I’ll do my best.”
De Minaur continues to produce his best tennis down under and has now reached the fourth round of his last five Australian Open tournaments.
Alex de Minaur’s Australian Open streak
- 2022 Australian Open – Lost in 4R to Jannik Sinner
- 2023 Australian Open – Lost in 4R to Novak Djokovic
- 2024 Australian Open – Lost in 4R to Andrey Rublev
- 2025 Australian Open – Lost in QF to Jannik Sinner
- 2026 Australian Open – 4R
He reached the quarterfinals for the first time last year, something he’ll undoubtedly be keen to replicate in 2026.
Standing between De Minaur and a place in the quarterfinals is either Alexander Bublik or Tomas Martin Etcheverry.
De Minaur will play his Australian Open fourth-round match on Sunday, January 25.
‘Are you doubting me Jim?’ – Alex de Minaur updates Jim Courier on Katie Boulter wedding plans
Courier also took the time to ask De Minaur if he had been helping out his fiancée, Katie Boulter, with the planning of their wedding.
“Are you doubting me, Jim [Courier]?” he asked.
“This is a 50-50 relationship right!
“The fact that we’re both tennis players and we’ve both got quite a busy schedule, we are doing as much as we can together, and I’ve been involved so far with some of the decisions.
“I’m sure when it comes to the details like napkins, flowers, and decorations, that’s not my forte, I’ll leave that to Katie.”
Boulter lost her opening match at this year’s Australian Open to Switzerland’s Belinda Bencic.
She has been spotted supporting De Minaur since exiting the competition.
Showing some appreciation for his soon-to-be wife, De Minaur signed the camera with her name and a love heart following his win over Tiafoe.
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