Paris Happy Hunting Ground for De Minaur, Who Will Close the Turin Qualification.
Posted by Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Friday, November 1, 2024
Paris has always been known as an important tourist destination with a big impact when it comes to the ATP Finals, and this year is no different.
Just ask Alex de Minaur.
The Aussie, in the midst of his best season as a professional, won the race for the prestigious ATP year-end event this week by reaching the quarterfinals in Paris. De Minaur now sits eighth in the rankings, 25 points ahead of Andrey Rublev, and could move into sixth, ahead of Casper Ruud and Novak Djokovic, if he beats Holger Rune in Paris today.
On Thursday in Paris De Minaur got a gritty 5-7 6-2 6-3 win over Jack Draper to match his best single-season win total of 47 (also in 2022). He will claim his 250th win on Friday, making him only the second player born in 1999 or later to record the most wins, along with Jannik Sinner (255).
Keeping his Turin dream alive 😮💨@alexdeminaur ends Draper's unbeaten run with a 5-7 6-2 6-3 win to reach the last 8 in Paris#RolexParisMasters pic.twitter.com/1nhw4NbRoy
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) October 31, 2024
The 25-year-old suffered a serious hip injury, which he sustained at Wimbledon, in the second half of the season, but it did not slow down his progress materially.
De Minaur is looking to become the first Australian to reach the ATP Finals since Lleyton Hewitt in 2004.
In January, the World No.10 became the first Aussie male to hold a Top-10 ranking since Hewitt in 2006. He dropped to No. 6 in the rankings after Wimbledon, but could move up the rankings in the not-too-distant future.
