As much as any top player, Sinner has been able to expose De Minaur’s lack of first-strike weaponry. The Aussie’s strength is his scrambling and counterpunching, but Sinner serves too well, hits too hard, places the ball too precisely for his defense to be effective. De Minaur hasn’t found a way to hurt, rattle, of disrupt him.
Is all hope lost for the last Australian standing? As De Minaur says, there’s always something positive to cling to before a match begins.
Sinner has been sick. He said he was dizzy in his last match, against Holger Rune, who won a set and had chances to win another. De Minaur, unlike in his previous rounds, will also not feel the pressure of being the favorite; as an underdog, he can swing freely. And the crowd will be there for him from start to finish.
That said, Sinner’s illness in his last round only revealed an even steelier calm under pressure. He’s a bad matchup for De Minaur, the same way he’s a bad matchup for everyone right now. Winner: Sinner
