De Minaur carves milestone path in Shanghai
Under Shanghai’s relentless lights, Alex de Minaur’s swift takedown of Camilo Ugo Carabelli propels him deeper into the draw, etching a 48th win that underscores his hard-court resurgence and sharpens the chase for year-end glory.
In the thick humidity of the Shanghai Masters, Alex de Minaur dispatched Camilo Ugo Carabelli with clinical precision, sealing a 6-4, 6-2 victory in 88 minutes to launch his campaign. The world No. 7 never faced a break point, his serve slicing through the night air while groundstrokes pinned the Argentine deep behind the baseline. This straight-sets rout not only advanced him to the third round but marked his 48th tour-level win of 2025, a personal best that makes him the first Australian man to reach that mark since Lleyton Hewitt in 2004.
Milestone reflects resilient comeback
De Minaur’s footwork danced across the hard courts, turning Carabelli’s attempts at rhythm into hurried errors through relentless crosscourt exchanges. The Australian’s one–two combinations—serve followed by a deep return—kept rallies short, rarely stretching beyond six shots as he built an early lead in the opener. Facing his opponent for the first time, he absorbed the pressure of a season shadowed by past injuries, channeling that history into focused aggression that dismantled any budding resistance.
His hard-court prowess now leads the tour with 35 victories in 2025, edging out Carlos Alcaraz and Taylor Fritz, both at 34. This edge stems from tactical tweaks, favoring flat inside-out forehands to exploit the surface’s speed rather than risking prolonged baseline duels. The crowd’s murmurs grew into cheers as he closed the second set, the atmosphere electric with the sense of a player hitting stride at a pivotal Masters 1000.
“I’m happy with myself. it’s a great achievement to show the consistency,” De Minaur said after the match. “I feel like I probably could have broken that record last year if I hadn’t gotten injured. To come back this year and just show that consistency week-in and week-out, I’m very proud of my efforts. Saying that, there’s still a lot of tennis to be played, so hopefully I can keep adding wins to that tally. Keep doing what I’m doing, keep my head down, keep working hard, keep showing up, and just keep the confidence and momentum going.”
Best. Season. Ever @alexdeminaur notches up his 48th victory of the season, defeating Ugo Carabelli 6-4 6-2 to advance to round three.@SH_Masters | #ShanghaiMasters pic.twitter.com/U324TSmVsB
— ATP Tour (@atptour) October 4, 2025
Hard-court edge sets up next test
Ahead lies a third-round clash with Kamil Majchrzak, who powered past 29th seed Brandon Nakashima 6-4, 6-0 in a display of raw baseline power. De Minaur’s speed should counter the Pole’s grinding returns, but sustaining zero break points will demand precise down-the-line passes to disrupt any flat-hitting rallies. The Shanghai hard courts, with their quick bounce, amplify his underspin slices on returns, turning defense into opportunities that could extend his surface dominance deep into the week.
The psychological lift from this milestone tempers the draw’s growing intensity, where every hold reinforces the quiet confidence he’s rebuilt post-injury. Crowd energy pulses through the stadium, the humid air carrying echoes of serves that hint at his growing command, yet he remains grounded, eyes fixed on conserving stamina for potential late-night marathons.
Finals chase intensifies with parallel wins
Across the complex, Felix Auger-Aliassime echoed that control, overpowering qualifier Alejandro Tabilo 6-3, 6-3 while saving all seven break points to blunt the Chilean’s Chengdu momentum. The Canadian’s path forward runs through 17th seed Jakub Mensik or Jesper de Jong, a matchup where his serve variations could exploit any hesitation in the return game. These triumphs ripple into the Nitto ATP Finals race, boosting De Minaur to seventh in the PIF ATP Live Race to Turin, just 325 points behind Ben Shelton, while Auger-Aliassime clings to tenth, 590 points adrift of Lorenzo Musetti for the final spot.
Both seek a second appearance at the year-end showcase, where the weight of accumulated points transforms each victory into a step toward redemption. In Shanghai’s buzzing draw, De Minaur’s consistency on hard courts recalibrates the math, pressuring those ahead as the season’s final bends approach. His next steps promise to test that resolve, potentially vaulting him toward 50 wins and a deeper narrative of triumph under the tournament’s glaring lights.
