‘WISER’ DE MINAUR READY FOR DJOKOVIC CHALLENGE

(Getty/Julian Finney)

Twelve months on, Alex de Minaur will get another opportunity to play Novak Djokovic at Wimbledon after the Aussie moved past August Holmgren in straight sets.

The 26-year-old was tested by Danish qualifier and stood up in crucial moments, particularly in the second set tiebreak to record a 6-4, 7-6(5), 6-3 victory.

“He's an extremely dangerous player. He's got an unbelievable serve, a great forehand…he takes the racket out of your hand…I had to bring some of my best tennis to get through,” de Minaur told the media.

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It’s an expected and routine triumph that now gives ‘Demon’ the matchup he has waited twelve months for, after being forced to withdraw from their looming quarterfinal in 2024.

“It was a brutal time for me last year, having to deal with all of those emotions,” de Minaur reflected.

“But here we are a year later, feeling good, ready to go, and I'm going to get my chance again. It's funny how life works.”

The Australian suggested his tennis may not be in a better place than in 2024, but mentally, he’s feeling significantly stronger, which will be a key factor against the seven-time champion.

“Last year was a version of myself that was very confident and ready to take on the world…I just kind of got stopped in my tracks,” de Minaur shared.

“The version I am right now is a lot wiser. I've lived through a lot more experiences, I've played a lot more big matches, so I think I'm more prepared mentally going into this next match.”

Djokovic has been sublime across his past two matches, recording his 100^th Wimbledon victory on Saturday with a 6-3, 6-0, 6-4 triumph over compatriot Miomir Kecmanović.

Having won his past 16 Wimbledon fourth-round clashes, Djokovic joked that de Minaur is not a name he wants to see in his draw.

“You're not super excited to play Alex de Minaur on grass, that's for sure. He's so quick and he's a complete player, and has improved his game tremendously in the last couple of years,” the Serbian noted.

The contest will likely headline Centre Court action on Monday as ‘Demon’ seeks to take the biggest scalp of his tennis career.

Dasha’s Campaign Ends

Daria Kasatkina’s Wimbledon campaign has ended in the third round, with a 2-6 3-6 defeat to Russian Liudmila Samsonova.

Kasatkina spoke pre-match about Samsonova’s game and the difficulty in slowing her down on grass, and ultimately, the Aussie was unable to seize control despite a momentum shift in the second set.

After Samsonova led by a set and a break, rain halted play for over an hour, and following the restart, Kasatkina broke back and levelled at 3-3.

But the 19th-seeded Russian responded to advance to a grand slam fourth round for the fifth time in her career, having dropped just 13 games en route.

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