Alex de Minaur’s bid to win the Paris Masters is over, his hopes shattered in another physically gruelling battle with tough young Dane Holger Rune.
Just as his hopes up the road at Roland Garros in the French Open had been ended at the quarter-final stage earlier in the year, de Minaur again bowed out in the last eight in the French capital 6-4 4-6 7-5 after an engrossing two hour 25 minutes slugfest with a player who shares his fighting qualities.
Ultimately, 21-year-old Rune saved his best for last in the dying stages of Friday’s absorbing contest to set up a semi-final with Alexander Zverev, the German who had ended de Minaur’s quest at the French Open.
It was a disappointing end for de Minaur’s challenge but his silver lining could still yet be a coveted first-time place in the ATP Finals in Turin later in November.
For the Australian No.1 departs the tournament, provisionally still holding on to the eighth and final place for the ATP Finals in Turin, while still knowing he could yet be surpassed by his chasers in last part of the race over the next nine days.
Yet there was still hope left for the Australian challenge in Paris with de Minaur’s fellow Sydneysider Jordan Thompson later facing home favourite Ugo Humbert in the last-eight.
Earlier, Zverev, who’s already guaranteed a place in Turin, had advanced to the semis by beating Stefanos Tsitsipas 7-5 6-4, in the process killing off the Greek’s last faint hopes of making the Finals.
