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The anguished look on de Minaur’s face after the Fils win, at a time when he should have been joyous, remains etched in onlookers’ memory.
“It’s funny how life works. Here we are a year later, and I’m going to get that match-up [but] a round earlier,” de Minaur said.
Alex De Minaur greets August Holmgren at the net following his victory.Credit: Getty Images
“But still, it was a brutal time for me last year, having to deal with all of those emotions. Here we are a year later; feeling good, ready to go, and I’m going to get my chance again, so I’m excited for that.”
De Minaur soared to a career-best No.6 in the world despite not being able to play his Wimbledon quarter-final, but missed the next seven weeks – bar an Olympic doubles cameo with Alexei Popyrin – before reaching the US Open quarter-finals.
He sat out for another six weeks trying to recover after that, and returned only to complete his goal of qualifying for the year-end tour finals, but was not the same player for the rest of the season.
The Djokovic duel presents the chance for de Minaur, who is 12 years Djokovic’s junior, to complete some unfinished business.
Novak Djokovic of Serbia plays a backhand against Miomir Kecmanovic.Credit: Getty Images
“I think there are definitely two versions of myself. Last year was a version of myself that was very confident and ready to kind of take on the world. I just got stopped in my tracks,” he said.
“I would say the version that I am right now is a lot wiser, and I’ve lived through a lot more experiences. I’ve played a lot more big matches. I think I’m more prepared mentally going into this next match.
“Whilst maybe my level last year was very high, and it was quite dangerous; I feel like this year, mentally, I’m in a really good place. I’m hoping that the game, the tennis, is going to come along.”
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The Australian star dropped one set in the first three rounds and has largely impressed after admitting he was suffering from mental fatigue after his second-round exit at Roland-Garros to Alexander Bublik from two sets up.
A first-up defeat to Jiri Lehecka at Queen’s Club, where de Minaur has traditionally performed well, was also a shock result, but he has hit his stride with a friendly draw at SW19.
Dominant victories over Spaniard Roberto Carballes Baena and Frenchman Arthur Cazaux – after dropping the first set – advanced him to the third round, where he would have expected to take on Machac before Holmgren’s heroics in his maiden grand slam draw.
The average ranking of de Minaur’s first three opponents was 127, so the Djokovic match-up will be a titanic step-up. But he will at least be comforted that Holmgren provided some resistance.
De Minaur needed eight break points to finally assert his authority on the contest late in the first set after the Dane continually produced breathtaking hitting to dodge the trouble he found himself in on serve.
Alex de Minaur of Australia plays a backhand against August Holmgren.Credit: Getty Images
There were several unreturned serves and others that drew short balls back that Holmgren flayed for winners off his forehand. He averaged 207km/h on his first serve and hit one at 226km/h, so de Minaur – the tour’s top-rated returner – had his work cut out.
De Minaur broke through when Holmgren crashed a forehand into the net to end an 18-point game, then served out the opening set with relative ease.
The second set was headed the same way when de Minaur broke again in the ninth game, but Holmgren came roaring back to restrict him to 0-40 before breaking back on his fourth chance in the game.
By then, the inspired Dane’s confidence was soaring and his fearless hitting helped him force a tiebreaker, during which he threatened to level the match at a set-all.
Everything could have been different if de Minaur’s second serve at five-all in the tiebreak landed narrowly longer rather than collecting chalk as Holmgren misfired on return. The Australian apologised for his fortune, then watched as Holmgren double-faulted to gift him the set.
Another Holmgren double-fault handed de Minaur a 4-2 edge in the third set, and he eventually booked his round-of-16 berth on his third match point with a third ace.
Beaten Kasatkina off to Melbourne
Kasatkina’s straight-sets defeat to former Billie Jean King Cup teammate Samsonova will see her pack her bags for her new home city of Melbourne within the next few days.
The 28-year-old, who gained permanent residency in Australia in March and was competing at her second major at Wimbledon for her adopted country, struggled to keep pace with the big-striking Samsonova, particularly on serve.
Daria Kasatkina waves as she leaves the court after losing to Liudmila Samsonova.Credit: AP
Two loose service games sealed Kasatkina’s first-set fate, and her day worsened when her shirt got caught on her earring and meant she could not contest her shot on the final point of the opening game of the second set.
Samsonova broke for 2-0 then saved consecutive break-back points before rain intervened for the next two hours.
Kasatkina snatched the first two points on resumption – the second after a wild Samsonova forehand – but every time she made an inroad, her Russian rival would reassert her authority.
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“I knew that it was going to be a very tough match because Liudmila is in great shape, winning a lot of matches, especially on grass,” Kasatkina said. “Of course, I think I could do better on my side, but I also have to give her credit – she played a very, very good match.”
Kasatkina will make a whirlwind trip to Melbourne to try and find a home, and continue her case to be an Australian citizen, which she needs to be before representing her new country in the BJK Cup.
The world No.18 also needs ITF approval after already playing for, and winning the BJK Cup title with, Russia in 2021. She told this masthead before Wimbledon that there was an outside chance of her playing in Australia’s BJK Cup tie in Hobart in November.
“In the next couple of days, I’m going to fly to Australia. I know that it’s winter there, so it’s the first time in my life I’m going to experience an Australian winter, not a summer,” she said.
“I’m going there for [only] a couple of days because the calendar is pretty tight. I need to become a citizen first [before playing BJK Cup for Australia], and after that, they can move forward. But before that, there is not much room for progress.”
Marc McGowan travelled to Wimbledon with the support of Tennis Australia
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