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Alex de Minaur\u2019s magnificent resilience and the doubles mastery of Matt Ebden and Max Purcell have earned Australia a great escape in Malaga \u2013 straight into the semi-finals of the Davis Cup.<\/p>\n
De Minaur produced his latest Houdini act with Lleyton Hewitt\u2019s men on the verge of bowing out in their quarter-final tie on Wednesday (Thursday AEDT) amid a barrage of brilliance from their young Czech Republic opponents.<\/p>\n
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Lleyton Hewitt congratulates Alex de Minaur on his Davis Cup win.<\/span>Credit: <\/span>Getty Images<\/cite><\/p>\n His heroics enabled the Australians, last year\u2019s finalists, to take the match into a doubles decider, where the trusty excellence of the \u201cM \u2019n M\u201d combination of the 2022 Wimbledon champions Ebden and Purcell led them to a 2-1 win and a place in the last four against Finland on Friday (Saturday AEDT).<\/p>\n Already 1-0 down after Jordan Thompson had been blitzed 6-4, 7-5 by Tomas Machac, Australian No.1 de Minaur was being blown away by his Czech equivalent Jiri Lehecka, who served for a straight-sets blowout at 5-4 in the second set.<\/p>\n It prompted a courtside exhortation from Hewitt assuring the \u201cDemon\u201d he was one of the best returners in the world, and the player built in his captain\u2019s image responded to the praise to then reel off 10 points on the bounce with a familiar scurrying combination of never-say-die defence and fearless attacking.<\/p>\n It set him on the way to turn the match around, earn a fantastic 4-6, 7-6 (7-2), 7-5 triumph and pave the way for Ebden and Purcell to beat Lehecka and Adam Pavlasek 6-4, 7-5 in the doubles.<\/p>\n It was the pair\u2019s sixth win in seven doubles Davis Cup rubbers together, and they again looked every inch one of the best teams in the game.<\/p>\n Earlier, the 22-year-old Lehecka\u2019s power and accuracy had de Minaur on the ropes for much of the match. Even after he\u2019d gone 2-0 down in the final set, the ever-improving world No.31 rebounded brilliantly, looking poised to reel off four games on the bounce until de Minaur saved three break points at 2-3.<\/p>\n Utter determination, despite his evident weariness, dragged the Aussie through in a magnificent contest, as he earned a break in the 11th game of the stanza that was to prove crucial.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know,\u201d shrugged the exhausted de Minaur, when asked on court how he\u2019d prevailed in the two-and-a-half hour scrap.<\/p>\n De Minaur celebrates a point.<\/span>Credit: <\/span>AP<\/cite><\/p>\n \u201cI guess it\u2019s part of my identity. Ultimately, it\u2019s always going to be tough. You\u2019re always going to be in a very dark places in matches but maybe I\u2019ve got that reputation of never giving up and I\u2019m competing to the end.<\/p>\n \u201cLleyton was telling me all match I\u2019m one of the best returners in the world and I\u2019m bound to break him at one stage. He played unbelievable \u2013 I\u2019m just lucky to have found a way to beat him.\u201d<\/p>\n Hewitt had plumped for the experience of Thompson in the opening singles, despite the claims of the higher-ranked Purcell and Alexei Popyrin, who had been drafted in to replace the injured Thanasi Kokkinakis.<\/p>\n But Machac, 22 places below \u201cTommo\u201d in the world rankings, was in scintillating form from the outset as he broke in the opening game to set out his stall.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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