‘I’m always ready, mate’: Demon set for another exam

Ian Chadband | October 25, 2025

Alex de Minaur has completed one big Italian job at the Vienna Open — but could be tasked with an even more monumental one in the semis.

Australia’s impressive No.1 had to subdue a second-set rally from Matteo Berrettini before putting away the former Wimbledon finalist a mite nervously 6-1 7-6 (7-4) in their quarter-final at the Wiener Stadthall on Friday.

The victory, which de Minaur was just a little relieved to finally nail down after Berrettini had saved three match points, has put the tireless Sydneysider into his 30th tour-level semi-final while strengthening his bid to make the end-of-season ATP Finals again.

But whether he’ll go any further in this high-quality ATP 500 event in Austria is questionable as his next assignement is likely to be against his nemesis Jannik Sinner, who was facing Alexander Bublik later on Friday in the quarter-finals.

Asked on court if he was physically and mentally ready for the battle ahead, de Minaur just smiled: “I’m always ready, mate. I stay ready. 

“I’m pleased with with my level so far. I played some some great tennis for about three quarters of that match. I’m gonna have to keep that level going forward.”

Sinner has de Minaur in all 11 meetings, with the chin of light for the Aussie being that he at least managed to win his first set in five years off the world No.2 in their latest clash in Beijing last month.

But de Minaur is looking fresh and sharp for the challenge, playing excellently for the most part against Berrettini who, despite having won three of their four previous clashes, wasn’t in the same league in terms of speed and agility this time.

The Italian has had an unending struggle with injuries of late and didn’t look able to live with de Minaur physically as the Aussie road-runner, returning with unerring quality, powered into a 5-0 lead before the world No.59 could even get on the board.   

De Minaur’s level did drop in the second set, as Berrettini’s power enabled him to break back a second time after he’d been serving at 3-5 down and faced a match point.

De Minaur was the picture of frustration in the 10th game when he netted “an unmissable” backhand volley at the net that should have given him match point but only allowed Berrettini an escape route back to 5-5.

In the tiebreak, de Minaur dominated to move into a 6-2 lead, but put another volley fractionally wide before finally getting the job done with his 21st winner to become the first man this year to earn 40 hardcourt wins.

Thirty-three unforced errors showed plenty of improvement was still needed this weekend, but at least de Minaur’s place in the eight-man ATP Finals in Turin is increasingly assured.

Seventh in the Race to Turin, not only did he move to within a victory of going past Ben Shelton into sixth but, with ninth-placed Felix Auger-Aliassime having had to pull out of the ATP tournament in Basel with a back injury on Friday, ‘Demon’s’ chasers are struggling to keep pace.

Meanwhile, Alexander Zverev has booked his place in Turin alongside Carlos Alcaraz, Sinner and Novak Djokovic after his Vienna quarter-final opponent Tallon Griekspoor withdrew injured.