Australia’s top-ranked tennis player Alex de Minaur cruised into the fourth round of the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells. The world No 10, who is seeded ninth for the ATP 1000 event in the California desert, scored an impressive 6-4, 6-0 win over Hubert Hurkacz.
The spoils had been shared at one win apiece in previous meetings, with the Pole taking out their last clash back in 2019 on the red clay in Madrid.
After a first-round bye and straight-sets victory over Belgian veteran David Goffin, De Minaur broke for the first time in the seventh game of the opening set, before taking it with his only set point.
The second stanza was all De Minaur, breaking the No 21 seed again in the first, third and fifth games to seal the contest in just 74 minutes.
“I did get some pretty big, crucial first serves when I did need them, which is always great to have,” De Minaur said.
“But my return games, I back myself against any server out there on tour, that I’m going to give myself looks, and I’m going to apply that constant pressure and more often than not I give myself opportunities, I give myself a chance to break. So if I can hold on to my serve, normally I’m looking all right for the match.”
De Minaur, 26, is the only remaining Australian left in the draw after compatriots Nick Kyrgios, Jordan Thompson, Chris O’Connell, Alexei Popyrin, Alexandar Vukic, Rinky Hijikata, Li Tu and Adam Walton Walton were eliminated earlier in the week.
The nine-time tour winner will next face 25th seed Franciso Cerundolo, after the Argentine beat Dutchman Botic van de Zandschulp 7-5, 6-4.
Elsewhere on Monday, Jack Draper survived an early scare to beat Jenson Brooksby 7-5, 6-4 and book his place in the last 16 for the second time in his career, while Carlos Alcaraz kept his Indian Wells “three-peat” campaign on track with a 6-2 6-4 win against Canadian Denis Shapovalov.
after newsletter promotion
The second-seeded Spaniard won the first five games, sending over 10 winners in the first set alone, as Shapovalov – fresh off a confident win in Dallas – struggled to find his usual intensity.
The four-time major winner never faced a break in a nearly flawless second set, clinching the match in less than 90 minutes with an overhead smash.
Alcaraz wants to become only the third man to win three straight titles at the Masters 1000 tournament after retired great Roger Federer and former No 1 Novak Djokovic, who crashed out in the second round.
