Is Alex de Minaur one of the best players on the planet right now? He is certainly staking a claim to be the best outside of the leading two of Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz and is into the ABN AMRO Open final in Rotterdam yet again.
The third seeded Australian who has reached this final now for the last two years at the ABN AMRO Open closed out a sublime victory over one of the storied players of the week in qualifier Mattia Bellucci.
De Minaur was rock solid against Bellucci who produced some sublime sections including a round the net tweener which has to be seen to be believed. But he was unable to match the true consistency of his opponent.
“He’s played with so much confidence this whole week and played some incredible tennis,” said De Minaur. who is yet to drop a set after four matches this week in Rotterdam. “I knew going in it was going to be a battle and he was going to play loose, the way he has all week long.
"I just had to do my best to stay with him early and see if I could get my chances early. Then it became a little bit more of an uphill battle for him, but he has a very, very bright future ahead, as well as so many more Italians.”
De Minaur now improves to 13-4 in Rotterdam where he also reached the final in 2024 before losing to Jannik Sinner. He usurps Novak Djokovic come what may next week going up to World No.6. He will face either Carlos Alcaraz or Hubert Hurkacz in Sunday's final.
Bellucci has had an exceptional week despite defeat finding his way past Daniil Medvedev and Stefanos Tsitsipas. The 23-year-old won't need qualifying for long moving up to World No.68 as a result of victory.
We’re witnessing Alex de Minaur entering his prime pic.twitter.com/pCwJgeRr6J
— Bastien Fachan (@BastienFachan) February 8, 2025
Samuel GillEditor-in-Chief
Samuel Gill is the Chief Content Officer (CCO) of TennisUpToDate.com, a role he has held since 2020. He is responsible for editorial governance across the platform, including setting content standards, overseeing accuracy and consistency, and guiding long-term editorial strategy. Since joining, he has contributed more than 10,000 articles and editorial pieces across the TennisUpToDate network, playing a central role in the daily operation and development of the site.
Based in Leicester, Samuel has a broad background in tennis media. In his current role, he works closely with editors and writers to ensure coverage meets clear journalistic standards, with particular attention to verification, consistency, and timely updates when new information becomes available.
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