Winning is in Alex de Minaur's DNA

The ABN AMRO Open has an illustrious history. The start of the duel between Alex de Minaur and Jakub Mensik alone will certainly go down in history. Right after the warm-up, the tournament physiotherapist came onto the centre court of Rotterdam Ahoy to treat the third-seeded De Minaur. The Australian received early treatment on the big toe of his right foot, after which the match began with a slight delay.

While De Minaur reached the quarter-finals in straight sets: 6-4, 6-4, he certainly had his hands full with the Czech, who is one of the best newcomers on the ATP Tour. "Staying calm was the key to this match," said De Minaur, who is currently ranked eighth in the world. "You know that Mensik has a strong serve, and he does not give away many free points. I kept applying pressure at important moments. In the end, my tactics worked."

De Minaur, whose nickname is 'the Demon,' won the ATP title last year at the grass tournament in Rosmalen, Brabant. "It feels strange to get so much support in the Netherlands, in a country that is so far away from Australia." The 25-year-old De Minaur, who lost the final in Ahoy to Jannik Sinner last year, cannot complain about his results at the Netherlands' biggest ATP tournament. He has consistently reached the last eight for four years in a row. "On the court, I do everything I can to win. That's in my DNA."

The Australian, whose professionalism makes him quite a role model in tennis, will meet German lucky loser Daniel Altmaier in the quarter-finals this afternoon, who defeated the tournament’s seventh seed, Frenchman Arthur Fils (6-4, 3-6, 7-5), in a hard-fought battle on Court 1.