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Saville on De Minaur: “I’m calling him to make a Slam final this year”

  • Jackson Mansell

Alex de Minaur was back to his best representing Australia at the United Cup, undefeated in two group matches and losing just eight games – the fewest of any male player at the tournament.

After a hip injury plagued his 2024 season, De Minaur believes he has his “legs back”.

“It’s definitely the best I’ve felt since Wimbledon. Very happy with how the body is moving, how it’s feeling,” he said following his 6-1 6-4 victory over Tomas Martin Etcheverry on Saturday. “It’s been a long time coming but it’s feeling in the best shape it has been in a very, very long time.”

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His form has captured the eye of Australian Open 2020 men’s doubles finalist Luke Saville, who had nothing but admiration for the 25-year-old.

“[I] just keep running out of compliments for him. He plays his best tennis playing for his country. His game has gone to another level again,” Saville said on this week’s episode of The Tennis.

“I just found it interesting last night [against Billy Harris] they were at 2-2 and the match seemed kind of tight and then 30 minutes later, 6-2 6-1. It was very, very good tennis.

“You could see how excited he was to feel like his movement’s back to his best and I just think it’s such an underrated quality – his movement. Not only defensively, but to still time offensively as well.”

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Saville believes De Minaur can take his game one step further in 2025. 

“I’m calling him to make a final of a Slam this year,” Saville said. “I just have so much belief in him. I think last year [he made] three quarterfinals. I was really backing him to push Novak at [Wimbledon] so just a brutal injury timing-wise.

“But of course, I just think his belief is there now. He knows where he belongs and I’ll back my boy in.”

Should he fulfill Saville's prediction at Melbourne Park, De Minaur would become the first local man to reach an Australian Open singles final since Lleyton Hewitt in 2005.

The last Aussie man to win the Australian Open title was Mark Edmondson in 1976.

 

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