In desperately sad news for Alex de Minaur, he’s today announced that he’s been forced to forfeit his Wimbledon quarter-final against Novak Djokovic.
The Australian looked in some discomfort against Arthur Fils on Monday, looking in some discomfort after hitting a winner on match point.
De Minaur might have fancied his chances against Djokovic today, with the Serbian still not entirely fit himself following knee surgery.
The Aussie number one has done some damage to his hip and on the morning of today’s match, he’s made this devastating announcement.
It means that Djokovic receives a bye to the semi-final where he will face either Taylor Fritz or Lorenzo Musetti for a place in the final.
After De Minaur made the announcement to the press, BBC pundit Pat Cash delivered his verdict on the player amid this big decision.
What Pat Cash has said about Alex De Minaur after Wimbledon decision
Cash is a man who knows what it takes to go all the way and win a Wimbledon title, taking the trophy back to Australia in 1987.
The BBC pundit also reached two finals at the Australian Open and he’s suggested that he’s gutted for De Minaur having to pull out of this clash.
He told BBC Sport: “It’s disappointing. Hugely disappointing for Alex, who has got himself into a position where he feels he can compete at the end of Grand Slam tournaments and has a shot of getting to finals and semi-finals.
“He is playing Djokovic, but there is a question mark about Novak’s fitness as well, so you think this is possibly the best opportunity Alex is getting to go further.
“Yes, Novak is playing well, of course we know, and is getting better all the time. But you can see he was very devastated. But he has made the right decision. It was bad luck for him, bad luck for Centre Court and the crowd. But really good news for Novak Djokovic.”
This could take some getting over for De Minaur
This is desperately sad for the player who Djokovic this week said was the quickest player on the ATP tour.
De Minaur had got himself into the position to play a quarter-final with a string of fine performances at Wimbledon this year.
Now, he will have to wait another year to go deep at SW19 and aim to reach the quarter-finals once again.
Injuries have set so many players back at this year’s tournament and it’s no ideal for the fans who have paid for the tickets.
It would be a cruel blow for De Minaur if he were to miss the Olympics too and now he will have to put every focus on being fit in time for the US Open in August.
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