Alex De Minaur came back from one set down to beat last week’s Madrid Mutua Open finalist Felix Auger Aliasime 6-7 (2-7) 6-4 6-4 after a three-hour battle reaching the Round of 16 for the second time in six attempts at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia at the Foro Italico in Rome.
De Minaur converted on four of his twelve break points. The Australian player scored the first win of his career over Auger Aliassime, who had claimed their previous two head-to-head matches in Cincinnati and in the Davis Cup Finals in 2022.
Auger Aliassime broke serve at love in the first game and held serve at 15 to take a 2-0 lead. De Minaur converted his fourth break point in the sixth game to draw level to 3-3. Both players traded mini-breaks at the start of the tie-break. Auger Aliassime won three points to open up a 4-1 lead. De Minaur pulled back one of the two mini-breaks for 2-4. Auger Aliassime won the final three points to win the tie-break 7-2.
De Minaur broke serve in the ninth game to win the second set 6-4. The Australian player converted his third break point in the third game of the decider, but he let a 3-1 lead slip, when Auger Aliassime broke back in the sixth game to draw level to 3-3. De Minaur broke for the second time in the ninth game and served out at 15 to close out the third set 6-4.
De Minaur scored his second win against a top 20 opponent on clay in 13 attempts.
“I think Felix is a very good player. He had a lot of confidence coming in. I am very happy how I stayed in the match how I stayed in the match at all stages. I was positive, no matter what came my way. I could have had a double break in the third set to maybe secure the match. I did not get it, ended up getting broken, and I managed to compose myself so I am very with that”, said De Minaur.
De Minaur set up a Round of 16 match against sixth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas, who beat Cameron Norrie 6-2 7-6 (7-1) to improve his seasonal record on clay to 19-2.
Alexandre Muller rallied from one set down to beat Andrey Rublev 3-6 6-3 6-2 after 1 hour and 49 minutes. Muller stopped Rublev’s seven-match winning streak.
Rublev earned his first break of the match in the fourth game to take a 3-1 lead. Muller saved a break point at 2-5 down, but Rublev served out the first set at 15 in the ninth game.
Muller converted his fourth break point in the eighth game to seal the second set 6-3 forcing the match to the decider.
Muller broke twice in the third and fifth game to open up a 4-1 lead. Rublev saved two match points when he was serving to stay in the match, but Muller converted his third match point in the final game to score his first win against a top 10 player. Muller set up a Round of 16 match against Nicholas Jarry, who beat Stefano Napolitano 6-2 4-6 6-4.
Muller becomes the first qualifier to beat a top 5 seed after losing the first set at an ATP Masters 1000 tournament since Jeremy Chardy beat Danil Medvedev in Paris Bercy in 2019.
Earlier at this tournament Muller beat Marton Fucsovics 4-6 7-6 (7-2) 6-2 and Arthur Fils 7-5 6-3.
“It’s amazing. I did not expect to win Andrey Rublev. I knew I had my chance, but it is special to win against a top 10 player. It was my first win against a top 10 player so I am very happy”, said Muller.
