London, July 4 (IANS) Fifth seed Alex de Minaur continued his impressive Wimbledon campaign by overcoming a spirited challenge from American Zachary Svajda 6-2, 5-7, 6-2, 6-4 on Saturday to reach the fourth round at the All England Club for the third consecutive year.
The Australian took two hours and 41 minutes to secure his win, showing great composure after losing the second set. De Minaur broke Svajda’s serve eight times and won an impressive 70 percent of his second-serve return points. He is on track for potentially his best Grand Slam performance.
“I thought it was a high-quality match. A lot of credit goes to Zach. He’s a very talented player and made things tough for me,” De Minaur said after the match.
“I was happy that I managed to stay mentally strong and maintain my level throughout the third and fourth sets. I felt that was key to winning today.”
World No. 66 Svajda was competing in the Wimbledon main draw for the first time. He was just four places away from his career-high ranking and recovered well after a slow start, challenging the Australian throughout the match.
“Zach’s got great timing on the ball. The first set threw me off a bit. I felt he didn’t start as strong as he could,” De Minaur said.
“The difference between the first and second sets was significant. He became much more aggressive, hitting through the ball and changing directions more. I felt my slice worked well in the first set, but then it became less effective.”
“He’s a smart player, and we both have a similar playing style. We like to move the ball around the court, and we don’t hit with the highest spin. It made for some entertaining tennis, in my opinion.”
This victory helped De Minaur avoid another early exit at a major tournament after his loss to Jakub Mensik at this year’s Roland Garros, where Mensik reached the semi-finals before losing to eventual champion Alexander Zverev.
With a spot in the Wimbledon quarter-finals on the line, De Minaur will next face either Roland Garros finalist Flavio Cobolli or Karen Khachanov.
“I know I’ll need to step up for the next match. Still, I feel like I’m playing at a high level,” De Minaur said.
“I feel like I’m in a good place. My body feels good, and I’m mentally fresh. I think that’s when I’m at my most dangerous. I hope to put everything together and play well.”
The Australian is happy with how his tournament is going and believes he is gaining momentum at the right time.
“I feel great. I’m pleased to have made it through the first week. That was my first goal in this tournament,” he said.
“It’s getting down to crunch time, I guess. I’m satisfied with my play. My body feels good. Today, I moved around the court really well. I’m confident sliding from both sides, which is important.
“Now it’s about building, right? Focus on what’s in front of you. Don’t look too far ahead. Keep that tunnel vision. That’s basically it.”
–IANS
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