De Minaur Extends Masters Streak With Rome Win

Alex de Minaur
Alex de Minaur (photo: FITP)

ROME/WASHINGTON, May 12, 2o25 (by Michael Dickens)

Alex de Minaur has been nothing if not consistent when it comes to his approach to competing against ATP Masters 1000 competition. He will always give his best effort, point by point – which often produces winning results – or go down to defeat trying.

After advancing past 103rd-ranked Bolivian lucky loser Hugo Dellien, 6-4, 6-4, in an hour and 57 minutes on the Grand Stand Arena Monday afternoon, the World No. 8 and seventh seed from Australia has reached his seventh consecutive round of 16 at an ATP Masters 1000 event, going all the way back to when he lost to Rafael Nadal at the Mutua Madrid Open in 2024.

De Minaur’s ATP Tour-tying 26th victory was achieved by winning 76 percent of his first-serve points, hitting 24 winners, converting three of six break points and outpointing Dellien 64-55. De Minaur’s angled backhand touch volley winner came on his second match point opportunity. It was his third career victory over Dellien and each has come on a different surface.

“It was a battle, it wasn’t easy,” de Minaur said during his on-court interview with ATP Media. “I know [Hugo] is a very good player on this surface. I was ready for a very tough match and I’m happy I got through it.”

By winning, de Minaur has become the only player to reach the round of 16 at all five ATP Masters 1000 events this season, highlighted by his run to the Monte-Carlo semifinals last month. He also improved to 40-2 against players ranked outside of the Top 30 since May of last year.

After defeating 95th-ranked Italian wild card Luca Nardi Saturday evening on the same court, de Minaur said he often relies on sheer willpower to get him through difficult matches. “To give myself the best chance of playing a point well, I know I have to have the right mindset, the right attitude before each point. There’s no sense of getting frustrated and letting it affect me on the very next point. My whole motto is to try to win every single point I play. To do that, I have to have the right attitude. It’s very important. I think it makes a big statement to your opponent as well.”

Next, de Minaur will face No. 11 seed Tommy Paul of the United States in the round of 16. The No. 12 Paul went the distance to beat No. 19 seed Tomas Machac of Czechia, 6-3, 6-7 (5), 6-4, in two hours and 23 minutes on Supertennis Arena. It was his first win over the Czech No. 1 in three meetings.

It was Paul’s first Top-20 win of the season after going 0-3 and it’s just his third career Top-20 win on clay. Against Machac, he struck 30 winners – seven of them were aces – and benefited from 38 unforced errors by his opponent.  Paul converted four of six break points and outscored Machac 97-88.

“It’s the first time we’ve played on clay. It was a little slower. I felt like I moved [on clay] pretty well today,” Paul said during his on-court interview with ATP Media. “I got the ball up and out of the strike zone. He’s an unbelievable player and we’ve played some amazing matches. The first two matches – I don’t think I played badly – and he beat me. So, I was really happy to get this one.”

Looking ahead to facing de Minaur, who has beaten Paul five times in five meetings, the American No. 2 said: “We’ve had some battles and he’s gotten the best of me a lot. So, hopefully, it’s another revenge match.”

Business-like performance yields second Rome win for Sinner

World No. 1 Jannik Sinner continued his quest to become first Italian champion in Rome since 1976 – making it four sets played and four sets won – with his business-like performance in defeating 93rd-ranked lucky loser Jesper de Jong of the Netherlands, 6-4, 6-2, in an hour and 33 minutes on Campo Centrale.

Sinner improved upon his career-best 23-match winning streak – as well as 12 at the ATP Masters 1000 level – with a measured performance, in which he struck 22 winners – including 12 from the forehand side – and made only 16 unforced errors. Sinner won 40 points from the baseline and 10 more at the net and outpointed de Jong, who was hampered by an injury to his right wrist when he lost his balance on the red clay surface while charging toward the net during the fourth game of the second set.

The top-seeded Sinner came over and helped de Jong to his feet and brought his racquet to him. Soon after, the Dutchman received a medical time out during the fifth-game changeover and played the rest of the match with his wrist heavily taped. Although he continued to play for the remainder of the match, it was evident that de Jong was hampered by the injury.

By the end, Sinner, who won on his first match-point opportunity, had converted five of seven break points and outpointed his opponent 66-44. He is now 61-0 against players ranked outside the Top 20 since the start of the US Open in 2023.

“It was a completely different match from the first one, different conditions,” said Sinner during his on-court interview with ATP Media, asked to compare his two matches in Rome. “I felt like I started the match very well and then I had a drop and he played a bit better. I tried to understand what was going on and fortunately I broke him at 4-4 again, which gave me confidence to continue. The second set went how it went. He injured himself. He is an amazing player and more of an amazing person and I wish him all the best and I hope it is nothing too serious.”

Next, Sinner will face No. 17 seed Francisco Cerundolo of Argentina, with whom he is 2-2 lifetime. Cerundolo advanced with a straightforward 6-2, 6-4 victory over 143rd-ranked Austrian qualifier Sebastian Ofner just in 76 minutes on Pietrangeli for his ATP Tour-tying 26th win of 2025 (tying him with Carlos Alcaraz and Alex de Minaur).

Cerundolo hit 16 winners, converted three of four break-point chances and outpointed Ofner 60-44. It was his ATP Tour-leading 18th win this season on clay, including his run to the Madrid semifinals last week, and he’s won back-to-back matches at nine of the 11 events he’s competed in this season – fourth at ATP Masters 1000 level.

The South American No. 1 improved to 12-0 against players ranked outside the Top 20 since losing to No. 103 Laslo Djere of Serbia in the semifinals at Santiago.

Around Foro Italico

• No. 20 seed Jakub Mensik of Czechia defeated No. 61 Fabian Marozsan of Hungary, 6-4, 7-6 (2), in one hour and 29 minutes on the Grand Stand Arena for his 12th ATP Masters 1000 victory of the season. He’s 19-6 in his career at the ATP Masters 1000 level, highlighted by his first ATP Tour at the Miami Open in March.

The 19-year-old #NextGenATP rising stars has become the first Czech man to reach the round of 16 at Rome since Tomas Berdych in 2017. His latest victory tied him with Lleyton Hewitt and Pete Sampras for eighth-most ATP Masters 1000 wins as a teenager in series history.

Mensik hit 26 winners – including 10 aces – and converted three of six break points. He outpointed Marozsan 75-61.

“It just feels great. I was kind of finding myself in my first match, and in the first set of this match,” Mensik said during his on-court interview with ATP Media. “In the second set I was feeling a little bit better. I was struggling [a bit], so I’m glad that the main thing in the match was that I stayed focused, I stayed calm. I was trusting that I would find a way. Fabian is a great champion, and he is playing very well, especially here in Rome, so I knew it was going to be a tough one.”

Next, Mensik will face No. 30 seed Hubert Hurkacz of Poland, who went the distance to defeat No. 45 Marcos Giron of the United States, 6-3, 1-6, 6-1, in one hour and 36 minutes on Supertennis Arena. Hurkacz hit 12 aces and 29 winners overall against Giron. He outpointed his opponent 72-62.

A quarterfinalist in Rome last year, it’s the third time Hurkacz has reached the round of 16 at Foro Italico. It’s the first ATP Masters 1000 round of 16 for Hurkacz since Cincinnati last year.

• No. 66 Jaume Munar of Spain advanced to his second ATP Masters 1000 fourth round of his career after Madrid in 2023 following his 6-4, 6-2 victory over No. 22 seed Sebastian Korda of the United States in one-hour, 27-minutes, on Grand Stand Arena. The 28-year-old Spaniard improved to 6-3 against the Top 30 this season after going 2-15 against them in 2023-24. He’s also 4-0 against Americans this year, including a previous victory over No. 13 seed Ben Shelton in the second round.

Munar hit 15 winners to nine unforced errors, won 35 points from the baseline and converted four of seven break points. He outpointed Korda 59-46.

“It means a lot [making second round of an ATP Masters 1000],” Munar said during his on-court interview with ATP Media. “I’m very happy to have come through a difficult match in the third round. It means a lot to be in the fourth round.”

Next, Munar will face No. 6 seed Casper Ruud of Norway, who advanced by retirement over No. 29 seed Matteo Berrettini of Italy, ahead 7-5, 2-0 after an hour of play Monday evening on Campo Centrale.

Monday’s Rome results

Tuesday’s Rome order of play

By the numbers

Norway’s Casper Ruud is on an eight-match winning set streak after winning the biggest title of his career recently at the Mutua Madrid Open. He is 13-2 versus Italian competition on clay since Rome in 2020, including 3-1 versus Matteo Berrentini and has advanced to the fourth round in Rome for the fifth time in the last seven years.

“Quotable …”

“I’m very happy with the consistency that I showed just coming out and competing every single week. But ultimately the goal is for more, to push for bigger and better things. That’s what I’m doing each and every week, givin myself a chance to do that. Hopefully I can take my opportunities.”

– Alex de Minaur of Australia, following his Monday win over lucky loser Hugo Dellien of Bolivia, which advanced him to the fourth round in Rome.

 

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