Alex de Minaur won his match against Zach Svajda at Wimbledon on 5 Jul 2026, scoring 6-2 5-7 6-2 6-4 in 2 hours and 41 minutes.
What happened?
The Australian tennis player held his ground in the third-round Wimbledon clash on Saturday local time, coming out on top in a battle between the two speedy players.
Svajda had earned the reputation as the "Aussie slayer" at the French Open earlier this year, where he knocked out both Alexei Popyrin and Adam Walton.
But world number 6 de Minaur controlled the opening set against his young opponent, sealing the set in a one-sided half an hour.
Why it matters for Alex de Minaur
The victory will see de Minaur officially reach the second week of Wimbledon for the third consecutive year.
De Minaur enthused about the "Aussie, Aussie, Aussie" chants from the crowd, saying "This almost feels like an Aussie court. It's been amazing playing on this court."
What comes next?
On Monday, he'll face either Italy's French Open finalist Flavio Cobolli or Russia's twice grand slam semi-finalist Karen Khachanov.
De Minaur called Svajda a "hell of a player", saying "He's quite awkward, plays great tennis from both sides, he's got one of the best running cross-court forehands I've ever seen."
The Australian player stayed in control for the remainder of the match, securing his spot on Monday.
De Minaur broke four times and was broken twice in the third set as Svajda began to feel the pace, with a medical time out called for the US player's left thigh treatment.