De Minaur dribbles past Rublev to score Beijing semi‑final spot

The ball ricocheted off the net like a ballboy on a high‑speed footy try, and Alex de Minaur found himself in a position that would have a commentator shouting, ‘he’s on a run, he’s on a run, he’s on a run!’

In a match that felt less like tennis and more like a last‑man‑standing in the final minutes of a grand final, de Minaur fought back from a losing break to out‑wrestle Russia’s Andrey Rublev and secure a berth in the China Open semi‑finals.

The first set had the Australian looking more like a tired full‑back than a star, with Rublev pushing his serve into the third‑corner, his forehand as uncooperative as a stubborn defender on a muddy pitch.

But de Minaur, with the swagger of a midfielder who’s just found the back of the net, turned his game around in the second set, using a slice that cut the ball like a well‑timed tackle.

The crowd went from polite applause to a roar that could have been mistaken for a stadium full of cheering fans after a winning goal.

By the end of the third set, the Australian had the look of a player who’d just scored a long‑range penalty and was still trying to get the ball back into the net.

Rublev, meanwhile, seemed to be the player who’d been sent off for a handball, struggling to keep the ball in play and losing his composure on the line.

De Minaur’s final rally was a display of sheer determination, his forehand smashing down the line like a forward’s last‑ditch header, leaving Rublev scrambling like a defender trying to keep a loose ball.

The match was a textbook example of how a player can turn a game on its head, much like a coach pulling a surprise tactical shift in the final quarter.

The Australian’s victory has been celebrated by fans who see it as a triumph of resilience, a reminder that even in the face of adversity, a player can still run the ball past the opposition.

The Beijing court, bathed in the glow of floodlights that shine like a stadium’s floodlights on a Sunday afternoon, witnessed a performance that could only be described as a masterclass in comeback.

Now that de Minaur has secured his place in the semi‑finals, the question is whether he will be able to keep the momentum going and take the game into the final, or if the next opponent will act like a full‑back who’s ready to block his path.

For now, though, the Australian’s triumph over Rublev is a reminder that even in the most intense matches, a single point can be as game‑changing as a goal in a footy grand final.

The crowd left the court buzzing, with many comparing de Minaur’s rally to a last‑minute victory in a footy match, and the Australian’s next opponent will have no choice but to prepare for a game that will be played with the same intensity and excitement.

In the end, the Beijing crowd was left with a memory that will echo through the tournament, a tale of a player who didn’t just win a set, but rewrote the script of a match that could have ended in a different story altogether.