Asked whether he had ever faced a better player following his first meeting with the former world No 1, De Minaur responded: “I don’t think I have, if I’m completely honest. I think what I experienced today was probably Novak very close to his best, I would say. To me, if that’s the level, I think he’s definitely the guy that’s going to take the title.
“I think what makes Novak Novak, at the end of the day, how solid he is, his movement, his end range gets, what he’s able to do with that, the depth he’s able to keep. It just felt like constant pressure today. Every service game I had, wasn’t getting free points. It felt like an uphill battle from the start. Never really was able to get my teeth into the match, make it tough for him, or bring the pressure moments and situations.”