‘Tough one to take’: Horror serving day proves costly as Demon loses US Open quarter-final

A horror serving day and an inspired Felix Auger-Aliassime have combined to cruel Alex de Minaur’s dream of reaching a maiden major semi-final at the US Open.

Playing in a sixth grand slam quarter-final and with his best opportunity to make a deep run, de Minaur served to force a fifth set, but bowed out 4-6, 7-6 (9-7), 7-5, 7-6 (7-4) in a heartbreaking four-plus-hour defeat.

The match was not always pretty, and both players battled obvious nerves, but there were still a swag of highlight-reel shots and tense exchanges in a captivating contest.

It will be 25th-seeded Auger-Aliassime’s second semi-final at Flushing Meadows, and first in four years, as his resurgence continues. World No.8 de Minaur will have to wait until at least next year’s Australian Open for another chance to make the final four at a major.

“It is very tough when you work so hard for something, and you constantly are putting yourself in positions to, in a way, prove people wrong,” de Minaur said.

“But yet again, you kind of fall, and especially this time – it’s a tough one to take. I mean, there’s no beating around the bush. It’s one of those matches that I would love to play again.

“I played Jannik [Sinner in the Australian Open quarter-finals], and he was just too good. There’s not really much I could have done, but I felt like this one was on my racquet, and it is a shame.

“I don’t know how I’ll handle it. I’m definitely, as of right now, seeing red, but I’ll get over it. It’s just tennis, right?”

The Australian star rued his serving performance, including a first-serve percentage that hovered below or barely above 40 per cent throughout, plus 11 double faults. It started in the first set with him making only 12 of 35 first serves.

Auger-Aliassime, who hit 22 aces and 51 winners to de Minaur’s eight and 29, initially failed to make him pay on return, gifting far too many errors or generally being unable to dictate enough.

Instead, de Minaur’s variety, depth and stout defence – a bedrock of his game – saw him take charge.

His change-of-direction backhand in the seventh game helped reduce Auger-Aliassime to 0-40, after the latter poorly missed a cross-court forehand a point earlier. Auger-Aliassime saved one break point with an ace, but another wild forehand handed over the break.

De Minaur saved two break-back chances in the next game with aggressive play, and soon secured the first set. The second set also presented both players with opportunities.

De Minaur staved off two more break points during a gritty 13-minute service hold, but Auger-Aliassime showed nowhere near the same resilience in the ensuing game as the top-ranked Australian went a set and a break up.

Just as it seemed like de Minaur might run away with the contest, Auger-Aliassime dug his heels in – blasting a sparkling inside-out forehand winner for three-all.

De Minaur earned a break point in the 11th game, but it took a tie-break to separate them.

They traded turns in front, but neither player could convert set points on the other’s serve before the key moment arrived at seven-all.

De Minaur produced a good serve out wide, but Auger-Aliassime’s forehand return barely clipped the baseline – and the Aussie could not keep his forehand in the court.

The match was locked a point later, when de Minaur steered a backhand into the net. He did not appear outwardly disappointed in the aftermath, but the cracks soon showed.

Auger-Aliassime pounced on some de Minaur waywardness in the fifth game of the third set to secure the break, including a double fault on break point.

The eighth seed had consecutive chances in the next game to get back on serve, but Auger-Aliassime painted the line with a forehand on the second of them to get back to deuce.

A frustrated de Minaur booted a ball into the crowd after committing an error on the next point, with the Canadian holding for 4-2. However, Auger-Aliassime stumbled with a two-sets-to-one lead in sight, double-faulting then over-hitting a forehand to slip back to five-all.

It was only a brief respite for de Minaur, who dropped serve again – and this time could not recover it.

But the 26-year-old does not have a reputation as the tour’s greatest fighter for no reason.

With his back against the wall, de Minaur dialled up the aggression early in the fourth set to snatch a crucial service break. He followed that by holding to love with a Pat Rafter-like high backhand volley winner.

This period also coincided with de Minaur taking pace off his first serve in a desperate but successful attempt to land more first serves.

Another twist was on the horizon. De Minaur had the chance to force a deciding set at 5-3, and had dropped only two points on serve for the set, but Auger-Aliassime produced his best return game of the match.

The Australian wilted under Auger-Aliassime’s baseline assault, skying a forehand to hand back the break without winning a single point. They were soon playing a second tie-breaker, which started with both players delivering nerve-jangling double faults.

The returner won the opening five points until de Minaur crashed a forehand into the net to go 4-2 down, followed by another double fault apiece.

Auger-Aliassime did not give de Minaur another opening, finishing with a flurry to progress to the semi-finals.

Watch every match of the US Open live and on demand on Stan Sport, with select coverage also available on Channel 9 and 9Now.