Hamburg, May 22: Alex de Minaur has continued his impressive form at the Hamburg Open. The third-seeded Australian player defeated Luciano Darderi in the quarterfinals.
De Minaur showcased a stellar performance, winning the match 6-0, 6-3. After facing three consecutive losses, he made a strong comeback in Hamburg, defeating world number 16 Darderi in his debut at the clay-court event. With this victory, de Minaur becomes the first Australian to reach the Hamburg semifinals since former world number one Lleyton Hewitt in 2007. According to ATP stats, the 27-year-old has climbed two spots to number 7 in the ATP live rankings following his quarterfinal win.
Darderi struggled to respond to de Minaur’s powerful game, particularly in the first set, where he consistently fell behind in tight deuce games. It took the Italian player 52 minutes to secure his first game, finally winning on his serve in the second set. Although Darderi attempted to push his opponent into long rallies, he failed to capitalize on a break point at 1-3. The late comeback attempt in front of an enthusiastic crowd in Rothenbaum proved futile.
After the match, de Minaur remarked, “The last 20 or 30 minutes of this match couldn’t have been slower or heavier.” In the semifinals, he will face Tommy Paul, who is also looking to claim his first ATP Tour championship match on clay. Paul, the sixth seed, defeated local favorite Daniel Altmaier 6-2, 7-5, becoming the first American to reach the Hamburg semifinals since Pete Sampras in 1995.
Additionally, fellow American Alexander Kovacevic also advanced to the final four, overcoming Camilo Ugo Carabelli in a tough match, winning 6-4, 6-7(10), 6-2. This marks the first time since 1995 that two Americans have reached the semifinals of the Hamburg Open, following the 14-time Grand Slam champion Sampras.
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