Downcast de Minaur crashes out in first round

Australia's Alex de Minaur says his caller bout with COVID-19 wasn't to blasted for his archetypal circular exit astatine the US Open.

The 22-year-old was beaten by American Taylor Fritz, 7-6, 6-2, 1-6, 6-4, continuing a disappointing US hardcourt play for de Minaur.

Currently ranked 17 successful the world, the Australian is apt to driblet retired of the apical 20 aft the US Open.

He was a precocious withdrawal from the Australian squad for the Tokyo Olympics, after investigating affirmative to COVID-19.

"It's been tough, post-COVID," de Minaur said.

"I felt mode amended today, contiguous wasn't a substance of COVID oregon thing similar that, it was a high-level lucifer and Taylor played amended successful the large moments and I didn't instrumentality my opportunities.

Alex de Minaur is retired of the US Open aft losing to Taylor Fritz. (Getty)

"He deserved to win, helium was the amended feline retired there."

Fritz had not antecedently taken a acceptable disconnected de Minaur successful their 3 tour-level meetings, but the Australian was adamant that counted for thing astatine the US Open.

"It's evidently a antithetic stage, we're playing astatine his location slam with a large court, and helium roseate to the occasion," helium explained.

"I consciousness similar I had plentifulness of opportunities, a spot of same-old, same-old.

"If I instrumentality my opportunities we're looking astatine a precise antithetic match."

The Australian has present mislaid 5 of his past six matches, since winning his 5th vocation rubric astatine Eastbourne earlier Wimbledon.

His lone triumph successful that timeframe came implicit Filip Krajinovic successful Cincinnati, wherever de Minaur came backmost aft dropping the archetypal acceptable 6-0 to triumph successful three.

Asked by Wide World of Sports to measure wherever it had gone wrong, de Minaur was downcast.

"Not successful the slightest what I wanted my US summertime to be, owed to immoderate factors," helium said.

"I inactive haven't felt similar myself, haven't played the mode I privation to play, it's precise disappointing.

"There's thing I tin bash astir it now, but effort to determination on."

A quarter-finalist successful New York past year, the Australian hasn't received immoderate favours from the gully astatine either Wimbledon oregon the US Open, where, arsenic a seed, he's faced comparatively pugnacious archetypal circular matches.

He played Sebastian Korda astatine Wimbledon, seen by galore arsenic a aboriginal star, portion Fritz is presently ranked 42, having been arsenic precocious arsenic 24 successful the satellite past year.

"At the extremity of the day, some those matches I've had chances to instrumentality it home," de Minaur explained.

"I conscionable haven't played good successful the large moments, possibly against different hostile you tin get distant with that.

"But against prime guys similar Taylor and Seb, they're going to marque you wage for it.

"That's what happened today."

De Minaur said he's not definite what semipermanent interaction his brushwood with COVID-19 volition have, oregon however soon helium tin find his champion tennis.

"It's a pugnacious 1 to answer, there's 2 factors that leap into the equation. It's a carnal factor, and a assurance factor," helium said.

"It hasn't truly helped retired these past mates of weeks, truthful trying to get backmost to my aged self, hopefully it comes sooner alternatively than later."

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