Alex de Minaur admitted he was relieved to come through a challenging Davis Cup match against Sweden’s Mikael Ymer, marking a strong comeback after his tough quarter-final defeat at the Australian Open. Both de Minaur and Davis Cup debutant Aleksandar Vukic secured straight-set victories in their singles rubbers, putting Australia in control against Sweden in Stockholm.
De Minaur acknowledged the difficulty of the match against Ymer, who pushed him hard in the opening set before the Aussie pulled away to win 7-5, 6-1 on Saturday morning (AEDT). This win was a confidence boost for de Minaur following his Australian Open loss to eventual champion Jannik Sinner. De Minaur faced harsh criticism on social media after his defeat, with some questioning his self-belief in his lopsided head-to-head record against Sinner, who has now defeated him in all 10 of their encounters. De Minaur even responded to a fan’s criticism online, prompting tennis commentator Jelena Dokic to come to his defense.
Despite the criticism, de Minaur showed no signs of mental fatigue from his loss to Sinner, starting strong for Australia in the Davis Cup. He admitted that the win over former top-50 player Ymer was far from easy, but he was pleased with the result. “It was a competitive match, a very tough match. Mikael played well, and I knew he would be a tough opponent, so I’m very happy I got the win for Australia,” de Minaur said, addressing the crowd, which included his mother and a group of vocal Aussie supporters.
The Swede gave de Minaur a tough battle in the first set, matching him shot for shot. One rally even lasted 41 shots, showcasing the intensity of the match. Neither player managed a break in the first 10 games, but de Minaur turned things around, winning eight consecutive points to take the 51-minute set. He carried the momentum into the second set, securing another break early and eventually sealing the win in one hour and 27 minutes.
Aleksandar Vukic then extended Australia’s lead to 2-0, defeating 21-year-old Leo Borg, son of Swedish tennis legend Bjorn Borg, 6-4, 6-4. Vukic, ranked World No. 66, capitalized on his recent Australian Open form, which saw him reach the third round and nearly upset World No. 15 Jack Draper. Vukic broke back to love after Borg leveled the first set at 3-3, maintaining control for the remainder of the match.
Although Borg mounted a challenge in the second set, earning three break points for a 5-4 lead, Vukic’s 10 aces and ability to raise his level in key moments helped him clinch the match on his second match point. “Leo’s a very good player. He made it very tough, and it’s always tough to play in front of the opponent’s home crowd. A match that I’m very happy to win,” a smiling Vukic said after the match. “Alex did a great job before me, and hopefully we’ll just get some rest and recovery before the doubles guys try to do their thing.”
With a 2-0 lead heading into the second day of the best-of-five-rubber tie, Lleyton Hewitt’s team is in prime position to progress to the next round of Davis Cup qualifying. Olympic doubles champions John Peers and Matt Ebden are favorites to win the doubles rubber against Filip Bergevi and Andre Goransson, which would secure the tie for Australia and render the reverse singles matches unnecessary.
