“Got to be ready to go” – De Minaur on Bastide Medical UTS Nimes
The two-time UTS champion is poised for the change in format in France
“The Demon” Alex de Minaur says he is raring to go at the Bastide Medical UTS Nimes this weekend.
The Australian – who won the Grand Final in London last year – says the tweak in format, with quarter-finals, semi-finals and then a final instead of a round-robin group stage, is much less forgiving.
“You’ve got to make sure you’re ready to go from the very first match,” he said ahead of the event – which takes place outside on clay.
“You’re definitely going to have longer points. It’s probably going to be a a lot more physical, so it’s something to be ready for. There’s maybe not as many points being played in in quarters, but I’m sure there’ll be longer rallies, a very physical rally. So I’m excited for it.
“I’m keen to see how it’s going to feel different from the previous UTS events I’ve played, and, yeah, we’ll see how it goes.”
“A great atmosphere”
De Minaur’s quarter-final opponent is “The Commander” Ugo Humbert, second up on Friday’s order of play, and he is well aware the crowd will be supporting the Frenchman.
“Whenever you play in France against a French player, they’re obviously very supportive of of their local players and rightfully so. So it should be a great atmosphere, and I’m looking forward to it.”
