Australia’s Davis Cup campaign is off to a winning start, with Alex De Minaur beating Zsombor Piros in straight sets.
The first set at Ken Rosewall Arena was tough slogging for Australia’s top-ranked male player, eventually securing the break late on and winning it, 7-5.
The second was more straightforward, as he emphatically thumped a second serve right back at the Hungarian to secure the set and the match, 7-5, 6-2.
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Rosewall was front row at the stadium that bears his name, and clapped in approval as the world No.32 soaked in the adulation from his hometown fans.
De Minaur returned the favour afterwards when asked by Jelena Dokic what he thought of the eight-time singles grand slam winner being courtside.
“As much as I love playing on this court, this is your court Kenny, and it’s my favourite court in the world – thank you so much for being here and for everything you’ve done,” he said.
“It’s special, to wear the green and gold in front of legends of the sport and the history, culture and tradition that the Davis Cup has,” De Minaur said afterwards.
De Minaur said he was off for a quick shower and then would be back to cheer on teammate Thanasi Kokkinakis, who takes on Maton Fucsovics in the second match.
“It’s never easy, playing for your country – there’s always a lot more nerves going in but I can’t tell you how good it feels to play with a home crowd, on my home court,” De Minaur said.
“I’m very happy I was able to get the first win, now let’s all cheer hard for Thanasi – he’s got a tough one, let’s get him over the line.”