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De Minaur on song to sweep swiftly to second round

  • Vivienne Christie

"Don't worry, be happy" is a theme for Alex de Minaur in his sixth main-draw campaign at the Australian Open.

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With those words written by the Australian himself on his racquet bag, the song by that same name has also become his pre-match listening choice.

And as he progressed through his first-round match at Australian Open 2023 on Tuesday night, there was much for De Minaur, the No.22 men's seed in Melbourne, to be happy about.

With a brief rain delay arguably proving the biggest frustration, De Minaur completed a 6-2 6-2 6-3 victory over Chinese Taipei qualifier Hsu Yu-Hsiou in just over two hours.

"At the moment, I've got that ('Don't Worry, Be Happy') song in my head at all times. I'm listening before I step out on court. I just want that message ingrained in my head," De Minaur explained with a smile.

"Whenever there's a tough moment out there, I just kind of try to sing that song in my head and avoid any negative thoughts and try to stay positive."

Not that negativity appeared an issue on Tuesday, as De Minaur dominated in every area against Hsu.

While the 208th-ranked Hsu was making his main draw debut at Grand Slam level, De Minaur is contesting his 21st major this fortnight.

The disparate experience showed from the outset, as the typically energised 23-year-old engaged keenly in rallies and capitalised on untimely errors from Hsu.

After racing to a 5-1 first set lead, De Minaur's momentum was halted only briefly when rain forced a wait while the roof was closed. He quickly closed out the set when play resumed.

De Minaur was in complete control on Tuesday night from the outset (Getty Images)

A 47 per cent first serve success rate provided room for improvement, De Minaur elevating the pressure as he found his serving groove.

That number increased to 71 per cent in a business-like second set, which the Australian completed by winning five straight games.

De Minaur immediately added to that authority, taking a 2-0 lead in the third set. While his concentration briefly wavered as Hsu earned a break point opportunity, he was never legitimately troubled in a straightforward win.

With his 26 winners boosted by eight aces and only one double fault, De Minaur takes further positivity from his expanded team.

Australian Peter Luczak, a former world No.64 on the ATP Tour, supported the local favourite alongside Australian Davis Cup captain Lleyton Hewitt, legendary coach Tony Roche and his girlfriend, fellow pro Katie Boulter.

"We started at the start of this year. But I've known Peter for a long time. We've gone back, done a lot of Davis Cup matches together," said De Minaur of Luczak, who has been added as a part-time member of his coaching team.

"It's been good to have him around. He's keeping a very positive mindset, keeping kind of me calm.

"I tend to be quite hard on myself, so he's kind of trying to remind me that I'm doing well, that I'm doing the right things, and to kind of enjoy every second out there."

It adds to De Minaur's confidence after a memorable period, which included a starring role in Australia's runner-up finish in the 2022 Davis Cup Finals and a comeback win over prolific champion Rafael Nadal at the United Cup.

Any pressure to improve on his fourth-round run at Australian Open 2022 – which continues on Thursday with a second-round match with either big-serving American John Isner or veteran Frenchman Adrian Mannarino – is something the fuss-free Australian therefore takes easily in stride.

MORE: AO 2023 men's singles draw

"I've been in this position a while. Yeah, in Davis Cup obviously. I kind of cherish it. I know what is asked from me. I know that at times I've got some pressure on myself to deliver. I take it with pride, ultimately," reasoned De Minaur of his position in the Australian tennis spotlight.

"We're in the second round of a Grand Slam. There's still a long, long way to go. I try to look at it more as me individually and try to focus on my goals and get as deep as I can.

"That's the plan. That's the goal. Get deep, enjoy myself, and keep getting better every day."