De Minaur demolishes Bublik to reach second straight home quarterfinal
Alex De Minaur defeated Alexander Bublik 6-4, 6-1, 6-1 on Sunday night to reach the Australian Open quarterfinals for the second year in a row.
Alex de Minaur, UTS 2025 | © Julien Nouet / Tennis Majors / UTS
Alex De Minaur defeated Alexander Bublik 6-4, 6-1, 6-1 to silence any doubts about his ability to withstand the tour’s biggest hitters. In a match that many expected to be a volatile contest, the 26-year-old Australian world No 6 delivered a baseline masterclass, conceding just six games over the course of the evening.
The victory was particularly sweet for De Minaur, who had lost his last two encounters against the Kazakh, including a heartbreaking five-set defeat at Roland Garros last season. Feeding off a raucous home crowd, “The Demon” looked hungrier than ever as he dismantled the No 10 seed in a dominant display of tactical maturity.
Punching Back: De Minaur’s Tactical Evolution
The narrative surrounding De Minaur has often suggested he could be overpowered by the game’s heavyweights, but Sunday night provided a firm rebuttal. The Australian remained “mentally switched on” from start to finish, refusing to allow Bublik to find the rhythm that had carried him through straight-set wins over Jenson Brooksby and Marton Fucsovics earlier in the week.
By the second and third sets, Bublik was visibly frustrated, repeatedly erring into the net as De Minaur tracked down every drop shot and repelled the Kazakh’s power with interest.
Reflecting on his growth, De Minaur was candid about his desire to shed his reputation: “I got tired of the narrative that these big hitters can take the racquet out of my hands. Yeah, over the years I have kept on improving. One of the things I have been constantly wanting to get to is exactly that, when I’m playing big hitters, not be a punching bag for them ultimately and really show them that I can go toe-to-toe with them and actually dictate and get them moving.”
This shift from defense to proactive aggression was the hallmark of what many are calling his best ball-striking performance at Melbourne Park.
Revenge Secured and a Date with the World Number One
The victory secures De Minaur’s place in his seventh career Grand Slam quarterfinal, matching the consistency of Australian legend Lleyton Hewitt. Having already dispatched Frances Tiafoe and Hamad Medjedovic earlier in the fortnight, the No 6 seed is playing with a level of confidence that suggests he is ready for the ultimate test.
His motivation was fueled by past failures against Bublik, including a recent loss in Paris: “I knew what to expect and what I didn’t do right the first couple times. I was very pleased with getting over the line and, yeah, not getting into trouble, right, because he can so easily get back into a match.”
De Minaur now prepares for a blockbuster quarterfinal clash against the world No 1, Carlos Alcaraz. The Spaniard has been in imperious form, but De Minaur’s new “disruptor” mentality and his improved physical strength make this one of the most anticipated matchups of the tournament. As he heads into the second week with a 5-1 record in 2026, the home favorite will be looking to break his 0-5 head-to-head record against Alcaraz and reach his maiden Grand Slam semifinal in front of a partisan Australian crowd.
