Sometimes players just dominate others. Over the years, we have seen Novak Djokovic go 19-0 against Gael Monfils, Rafael Nadal go 18-0 against Richard Gasquet, and Roger Federer go 17-0 against David Ferrer and Mikhail Youzhny. However, over the last four years, Alex de Minaur of Sydney, Australia has put together an impressive run of his own against Andy Murray of Great Britain, as he has won six straight matches (not including a Murray withdrawal against de Minaur in the quarterfinals of Washington in 2018). What is the most notable element of the streak is the fact that Murray is a three-time major singles champion, as he won the United States Open in 2012, and Wimbledon in 2013 and 2016.
It was on Monday where de Minaur beat Murray the sixth time in his career. It came in the first round of the Paris Indoor tournament, the final 1000 Series event on the ATP Tour. De Minaur was victorious 7-6, 4-6, 7-5.
Murray actually had a great opportunity to end the streak at five straight losses against de Minaur, as Murray led the Australian 5-2 in the third set before de Minaur won five straight games to win the match. The serve was the difference in the match, as de Minauir had seven aces. compared to only three for Murray.
De Minaur’s five prior wins over Murray came in the second round of the Zhuhai Championship in China on September 26, in a 4-6, 6-2, 6-4 win, in the round robin of the 2022 Laver Cup, in a 5-7, 6-3, 1-0 win, in the first round of Monte Carlo of 2023, in a 6-1, 6-3 win, in the first round of Queen’s in 2023, in a 6-3, 6-1 win, and in the first round of the China Open of 2023, in a 6-3, 5-7, 7-6 win. So far in Paris, De Minaur is the only Australian to reach the second round of the indoor event, as Alexei Popyrin and Max Purcell both lost.
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