De Minaur Recovers From Late Wobble, Through To Vienna Semifinals

Alex de Minaur
Alex de Minaur (photo: e-motion/Bildagentur Zolles KG/Christian Hofer)

VIENNA/WASHINGTON, October 24, 2025 (by Michael Dickens)

Since the start of the 2023 season, Australia’s Alex de Minaur has been as solid a competitor as anyone in tennis – especially at the ATP 500-series level. With his latest victory at the ATP 500 Erste Bank Open in Vienna on Friday afternoon, a straight-set victory over Matteo Berrettini of Italy, the Sydneysider has won a tour-leading 48 ATP 500 matches.

No. 3 seed De Minaur also reached his 30th career ATP Tour semifinal with his 6-1, 7-6 (4) over the 59th-ranked Berrettini on Center Court – and he’s tied Carlos Alcaraz for most ATP 500 semifinals with four after previously reaching the stage at Rotterdam, Washington and Beijing. Additionally, de Minaur became the first man to record 40 hard-courts wins this season – as well as the first Australian man to achieve the feat since Lleyton Hewitt reached 45 in 2004.

The World No. 7 jumped out to a double-break 5-0 lead over the four-time Vienna quarterfinalist Berrettini and he was off to the races. By the end of their one-hour, 43-minute tussle, despite a late wobble, in which de Minaur let escape a trio of match points, he came through to secure the semifinal berth on his fourth match-point opportunity against Berrettini.

“I just needed to go back to what was working right,” de Minaur said during his on-court interview with ATP Media, “and that was having that aggressive mindset and going out to win the match.”

De Minaur won the 29-minute opening set 6-1 by utilizing a solid serve and return game. Next, he broke Berrettini to go ahead 4-3 in the second set. He consolidated the break by taking advantage of a pair of unforced errors by the Italian. However, Berrettini was not quite ready to fade away. Instead, he saved a match point on his serve in the ninth game, then broke de Minaur to draw even at 5-all. Both players held to set up a second-set tie-break that ultimately would decide the outcome.

“I thought I did well, then serving for it,” de Minaur said. “I had a volley on top of the net that I don’t know how many I’m going to miss in my career like that because it was almost unmissable. Then, all of a sudden, I get broken and we’re in a battle.”

At the first turn of the tie-break, de Minaur dominated several baseline rallies to grab a 5-1 advantage. However, Berrettini saved a second match point with a booming ace up the middle, then a third one when de Minaur hit a backhand volley wide. De Minaur finally won on his fourth match point opportunity with a fifth-shot backhand volley winner running in toward the net. The victory improved his overall win-loss record to 53-19.

De Minaur overcame 33 unforced errors to hit 21 winners, including 10 from his forehand side. He won 73 percent (33 of 45) of his first-serve points, converted four of 10 break-point chances and outpointed Berrettini 75-62.

“I’m extremely proud of my mental effort – not to get down on myself and to stay composed, keep fighting and give myself chances. I got a very good win today. I’m happy with it,” de Minaur said.

Although he trailed the Roman 3-1 in their career head-to-head coming in, de Minaur’s triumph advanced him to back-to-back semifinals at Wiener Stadthalle, while Berrettini was denied his first semifinal above the ATP 250 level since winning Queen’s Club three years ago in 2022.

Sinner’s indoor winning streak now at 19

On Saturday, de Minaur will play World No. 2 Jannik Sinner. The top seed from Italy won his 19th-straight indoor match with a 6-4, 6-4 victory over World No. 16 and eighth seed Alexander Bublik of Kazakhstan in an hour and 16 minutes on Center Court.

Sinner wrapped up his 46th victory of the 2025 season with a pair of solid service aces. He finished the quarterfinal match with eight aces and hit 21 overall winners while making just 11 unforced errors. Meanwhile, Bublik countered with 21 winners – including nine aces, two of them underarmed. He committed 27 unforced errors. Sinner won all but two points on his first serve (28 of 30, 93 percent), faced no break points and converted two of eight break points against Bublik. He outpointed his opponent 67-47.

“Playing a quarterfinal in a 500 against Sasha is very difficult,” Sinner admitted during his on-court interview with ATP Media. “I’m very happy. I tried to return as many balls as possible. I felt like he was serving great today. I had some chances early in the first set. I couldn’t use them. I tried to stay there mentally. I’m very happy about that and I’m happy to be in the semis again. He’s a very dangerous player. I tried to stay as solid as possible. I’m happy.”

Zverev advances without playing a point

World No. 3 Alexander Zverev of Germany recorded his 300th hard-court win without having to play a point. That’s because his opponent, 28th-ranked Tallon Griekspoor of the Netherlands, withdrew due to back pain prior to the start of their quarterfinal Friday afternoon. 

The walkover win advanced Zverev (300-134 in hard-court matches) to his second Vienna semifinal after winning the 2021 title.

Zverev came out onto Center Court and gave an interview before staying to offer fans an open training session. “Of course, I’m happy to be in the semifinals now, but I was also looking forward to playing a good match today,” he said. “Matches against Tallon are always great battles, and I was really up for that challenge.”

By reaching the semifinals, Zverev became the fourth player after Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic to qualify for the Nitto ATP Finals in Turin, Italy, Nov. 9-16.

Musetti takes down Moutet

On Saturday, Zverev will play World No. 8 and fourth seed Lorenzo Musetti of Italy, who defeated No. 36 Corentin Moutet of France, 6-4, 6-4, on Center Court Friday evening. 

At a set ahead and 4-all in the second, Musetti broke his opponent with a one-two punch of a down-the-line backhand and cross-court forehand combo that Moutet eventually punched into the net. Then, serving for the match, Musetti consolidated the break – but not before letting a couple of match points slip by – and collected a personal-best 41st victory of the season to maintain his eighth-place position in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin. He put away the win on his third match-point opportunity with an ace out wide – his fourth of the one-hour, 41-minute quarterfinal – and 26th winner overall. 

Musetti won 70 percent (28 of 40) of his first-serve points. He saved the only break point he faced, which came during the final game of the match, and converted two of three chances against Moutet. Musetti outpointed his opponent 65-53.

“Honestly, I enjoyed the win even if I had to deal with a tough situation, saving the only break point I had to save during the match,” Musetti said during his on-court interview with ATP Media. “I managed to stay focused and stayed patient to do what I had to do – especially to play well in the important moments. I think it was really important for me there. Reaching the semis is a wonderful achievement but I don’t want to stop.”

With Musetti’s victory, it means all four of the top seeds are through to Saturday’s semifinals.

Around the Wiener Stadthalle

As the doubles quarterfinals took place on #glaubandich Court, all four of the top seeds were in action. 

First, No. 1 seeds Marcelo Arevalo of El Salvador and Mate Pavic of Croatia were upset by Yuki Bhambri of India and Andre Goransson of Sweden. The Indian/Swedish duo advanced by retirement after splitting the first two sets, losing the first 7-6 (6) and winning the second during the one hour and 44 minute quarterfinal.

Next, No. 4 seeds Joe Salisbury and Neal Skupski of Great Britain also were victims of an upset, by Francisco Cabral of Portugal and Lucas Miedler of Austria, who won 6-3, 6-4 in 68 minutes.

Later, wild cards Alexander Erler of Austria and Robert Galloway of the United States fell to No. 3 seeds Harri Heliovaara of Finland and Henry Patten of Great Britain, 6-2, 6-1, in 48 minutes.

Finally, No. 2 seeds Julian Cash and Lloyd Glasspool beat lucky losers Fernando Romboli of Brazil and John-Patrick Smith of Australia, 7-6 (2), 6-4, in one hour and 27 minutes. 

In Saturday’s semifinals, Bhambri and Goransson will face Cabral and Miedler, followed by Erler and Galloway against Heliovaara and Patten.

Friday’s Erste Bank Open results

Saturday’s Erste Bank Open order of play

By the numbers

Jannik Sinner has tied Fabio Fognini and Adriano Panatta for most tour-level semifinals by an Italian player in the Open Era with 42. Sinner equalled Fognini and Panatta with his victory over Alexander Bublik in Friday’s quarterfinal round play.

“Quotable …”

“He is such a great player and I knew it would be intense. It was hard to come from Almaty to here. It was a long travel, jet lag and we did a big match in the final, so it was hard to recover. I am more than happy with my performance. I played very aggressively today. It is different conditions, but it is always a big, big challenge to play against Daniil.”

– No. 36 Corentin Moutet of France, during his post-match interview Thursday after defeating World No. 14 and sixth seed Daniil Medvedev of Russia. Medvedev defeated Moutet last Sunday in the ATP 250 final at Almaty, Kazakhstan.

 

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