ROTTERDAM : Australia’s Alex de Minaur eased past top seed Felix Auger-Aliassime 6-3 6-2 on Sunday to clinch his first indoor title on the ATP Tour at the Rotterdam Open, ending the Canadian’s eight-match winning streak in a 78-minute final.
World number eight De Minaur, runner-up at the tournament in the previous two editions, secured his 11th career title after dominating from the baseline and keeping his opponent under constant pressure.
“Third time lucky. I’m super stoked, super happy… I was just a step short in the previous years, so it feels great to finally be able to lift the title,” De Minaur said.
The Australian dictated rallies with precise backhand winners struck deep near the baseline, earning a crucial break for a 4-2 lead in the opening set before closing it out comfortably.
Auger-Aliassime, a two-time U.S. Open semi-finalist ranked sixth in the world, struggled with consistency in the second set, committing 12 unforced errors as De Minaur broke twice more. The Australian sealed victory with an ace on match point.
“Felix, you’re a great opponent. I am sure we’ll play more finals together,” De Minaur said after claiming his second win in five meetings with the Canadian.
