ATP Tour: De Minaur Dominates to Reach Rotterdam Final
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Synopsis
Alex de Minaur demonstrated exceptional skill in the Rotterdam Open, advancing to the ATP 500 final after defeating Mattia Bellucci in straight sets. This victory marked De Minaur's 11th win of the year, solidifying his position as a top contender in the tournament and setting him up for a potential career-high ATP ranking.
Key Takeaways
- De Minaur advances to the Rotterdam final.
- Bellucci shows promise despite the loss.
- De Minaur becomes the Tour leader with 11 wins.
- Bellucci rises to World No. 68.
- De Minaur remains unbeaten in the tournament.
Rotterdam, Feb 8 (NationPress) Australia's premier singles player Alex de Minaur showcased an impressive performance at the Rotterdam Open, swiftly advancing to the championship match of the ATP 500 tournament held on indoor hard courts, defeating qualifier Mattia Bellucci from Italy in straight sets. De Minaur remained steadfast against some brilliant plays from Bellucci, who struggled to maintain consistency in his first ATP Tour semifinal.
With this victory, marking his Tour-leading 11th match win of 2025, De Minaur improved his record to 13-4 in Rotterdam, having also reached the final in 2024 where he lost to Jannik Sinner.
The 25-year-old third seed is set to return to a career-high No. 6 in the ATP Rankings on Monday, regardless of the final outcome, and will face either Carlos Alcaraz, the top seed, or Hubert Hurkacz, the eighth seed, in Sunday’s championship.
Although Bellucci faced a 67-minute defeat against the third-seeded Australian, he can take pride in a breakthrough performance in Rotterdam. After qualifying, the 23-year-old Italian triumphed over Daniil Medvedev and Stefanos Tsitsipas to reach the semifinals, assuring his rise of 24 spots to a career-high World No. 68 on Monday.
With this victory, De Minaur has just one more match to secure a perfect conclusion to his outstanding week in Rotterdam.
He navigated through some remarkable moments from Bellucci, who made an impressive run to his first ATP Tour semifinal. “He’s played with immense confidence all week and demonstrated incredible tennis,” stated De Minaur, who has yet to lose a set after four matches this week in Rotterdam. “I anticipated a tough match and knew he would play freely, as he has all week.”
“I needed to stay competitive early on and capitalize on any opportunities. It became a bit more challenging for him afterward, but he certainly has a promising future ahead, along with many other talented Italians,” he added.
