Top seed and last year’s finalist Alex De Minaur edged past Frances Tiafoe 4-2 4-1 0-4 4-2 after 73 minutes to advance to the final of the Next Gen ATP Finals in Milan for the second consecutive year. He finished runner-up to Stefanos Tsitsipas in last year’s final.
De Minaur has won 8 of his 9 matches in the 2018 and 2019 editions of the Next Gen ATP Finals in Milan.
The Sydney player got his first break with a big forehand at 1-1 in the opening set after forcing an error from Tiafoe and served well in all three service games. De Minaur hit four winners to seal the opening set 4-2 after 19 minutes.
De Minaur broke serve in the third game of the second set to take a 2-1 lead. The Aussie player hit an ace and closed out the second set 4-1 with another break after 36 minutes.
Tiafoe went up a double break in the first and third games to take a bagel win in the third set.
De Minaur hit a backhand winner at 30-30 to earn a match point, as Tiafoe was serving at 2-3 and converted the break point after a forehand error from Tiafoe.
“It’s never easy playing someone like Frances. He has immense firepower and he is never going to give up. I didn’t have my best third set, but I was able to bounce back and come clutch in that last game. Francesi s the ultimate sort of sportsman. He will leave it all there on the tennis court, and then we will best of friends afterwards. Nothing will change that it’s always good to know that. It’s difficult, but easier in some ways to play a friend”, said De Minaur.
