Alex de Minaur overcame a one-set deficit and his own serving yips Saturday afternoon to defeat 31st-seed Francisco Cerundolo in a marathon third-round Australian Open match.

Alex de Minaur has explained why he slapped his legs during the fourth and final set of his match against Francisco Cerundolo. The No. 8 seed stormed back from a break down to advance to the second week of the Australian Open with a 5-7 7-6(3) 6-3 6-3 victory.

Alex de Minaur has never made it past the fourth round at the Australian Open, but he'll have the opportunity to change that on Monday. In his way, though, is rising star Alex Michelsen. The 20-year-old American upset Stefanos Tsitsipas in the opening round before defeating both James McCabe and Karen Khachanov in straight sets.

Pressure is said to be a privilege, and this has never been lost on Alex de Minaur, but the world number eight has become accustomed to bearing the weight of expectation.

Here’s the remarkable truth about Alex de Minaur. Apart from the remarkable ability to overachieve, he’s completely unremarkable. It’s remarkable. I’ve searched his closet and there’s not a single skeleton to be found.

It was the opening round of the 2017 Australian Open in de Minaur’s first main draw at his first major championship in his home country, when the then-17-year-old saved a match point in the fourth set before beating Gerald Melzer in five sets and almost four hours.

Francisco Cerundolo (No. 31 ranking) will face Alex de Minaur (No. 8) in the Round of 32 of the Australian Open on Friday, January 17.Cerundolo moved on to the Round of 32 after his last match

Watch the match highlights between Francisco Cerundolo & Alex de Minaur in Round 3 of the 2025 Australian Open.

Alex de Minaur has reached a career-best Australian Open fourth round for the fourth time after eclipsing Francisco Cerundolo in four hard-fought sets at Rod Laver Arena on Saturday. The eighth seed lost the first set but eventually grinded the Argentine 31st seed down,