'Demon' back to winning ways in 'important' Aussie duel
On the face of it, this was just an exhibition tennis match against a friend, amid champagne corks popping in an intimate arena, with absolutely nothing riding on it except perhaps a bit of Sydneysider bragging rights.
But Alex de Minaur reckoned it was much more than that.
Indeed, he felt his 6-3 6-4 victory over Alexei Popyrin in a duel between Australia's top two tennis men at the now-traditional pre-Wimbledon Boodles invitation event on Thursday was just the pick-me-up he needed after his grass-court plans went awry.
"I think this was a very important match for me to kind of get back on track, to get a match played in competitive spirit, and kind of try to put in place all the things I've been working on, and feel those match-type nerves," said de Minaur, glad to get back to winning ways for the first time since his shock French Open exit.
After the second-round loss to Alexander Bublik at Roland Garros nearly a month ago, which ended with him pouring his heart out about feeling mentally burnt out and physically drained, de Minaur's only grass-court outing in the past month had been his defeat by eventual finalist Jiri Lehecka at Queen's.
And even if his first grass-court clash with Aussie No.2 Popyrin was a world away from a tour event, played in the plush surrounds of a private club north of London, and watched by a couple of thousand who'd come for the hospitality as much as the tennis, 'Demon' was adamant it had been a significant work-out.
"Yeah, going into Wimbledon now, I feel ready and excited to compete," said the world No.11.
"I love this time of the year. It's always a lot of fun. I think it's a surface that suits my game-style really well and, hopefully I can come play some good tennis in the coming weeks."
Asked what would be key next week, de Minaur, a quarter-finalist last year, added: "Being mentally refreshed, being ready to play and ultimately trusting the game.
"In the past, I've played some great tennis at Wimbledon, so it's about trusting myself and knowing that I can go out there and do it, just committing to my shots."
De Minaur, at No.11, and Popyrin, at No.20, are the two Australian men seeded for the Championships and will learn their opponents in Friday's draw.
Popyrin didn't sound too concerned about his defeat after he had enjoyed a much more successful week at Queen's than de Minaur, eventually losing in a tight affair with British home favourite Jack Draper.
He hadn't exactly had the most demanding of warm-ups at Stoke Park when he had a hit before the match with Harry Potter film star Jason Isaacs. Doubtless, he felt that was just magic.
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Knapp breaks record, Aussie Endycott in the PGA mix
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