Alex de Minaur claims Rotterdam Open with impressive victory over Felix Auger-Aliassime
Alex de Minaur took out the Rotterdam Open by beating Felix Auger-Aliassime in straight sets in the final. (Getty Images: Gabriel Calvino Alonso)
Alex de Minaur has delivered a masterful performance to defeat the red-hot Felix Auger-Aliassime and land one of the biggest titles of his career at the Rotterdam Open.
The Australian produced some of his finest tennis to crush the Canadian world number six, who had won the Montpellier Open just a week earlier and whose service had been seemingly unbreakable.
But after 78 consecutive service holds, Auger-Aliassime had his delivery finally dismantled by world number eight de Minaur in the first set, before the inspired Sydneysider roared on to lift his first ever indoor title with a 6-3, 6-2 win.
It was a reward for the dogged Aussie's perseverance as he finally lifted the title at one of his favourite hard-court tournaments after losing the last two finals to Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz.
"I mean, third time lucky," de Minaur said.
"I'm so super happy. It ended up being a great week here, a place where I always feel really, really good.
"I was just a step short the previous years, so it feels great to finally be able to lift the title."
The sport's top-two powerhouses may not have been in the Netherlands this week, but Auger-Aliassime had been in the form of his life, having destroyed Alexander Bublik in the semis in what he felt was a near-perfect performance.
But de Minaur found a completely new level as he took just 77 minutes to become only the second Australian winner in the prestigious tournament's 54-year history.
Emulating 2004 winner Lleyton Hewitt, de Minaur never let the 25-year-old indoor specialist Auger-Aliassime settle from the start as he attacked aggressively and dominated the baseline exchanges.
He still needed two scintillating passes to finally crack Auger-Aliassime's serve in the sixth game, but then never relented.
"For sure, it was my best tennis of the week, and that's what it's all about, just doing my best to rise up to the occasion," said de Minaur, who ended up with three breaks but didn't give up a single break point on his own delivery.
This was de Minaur's fifth triumph in an ATP 500 event — the tournaments directly below Masters and grand slam level in which he's won more matches than anyone (53) since the start of 2023.
He will be desperate to use this early-season victory as a springboard for success at the highest levels after his 11th ATP triumph put him joint-sixth alongside Mark Philippoussis and Pat Rafter in the all-time Australian men's champions list in the open era.
AAP