This match was within my reach and I was absolutely not at my level," De Minaur disheartened after his quarterfinal elimination at the US Open
For the sixth time in his career, Alex de Minaur was stopped in the quarterfinals of a Grand Slam, this time by Félix Auger-Aliassime.
As against Jack Draper last year at the US Open, the Australian fell hard, but above all, he delivered a performance far below his usual level, with 43 unforced errors and only 42% of first serves. In the press conference, the world No. 8 expressed his disappointment:
"It's a missed opportunity. It's tough. I had the chance to make a breakthrough. I was absolutely not at the level I needed to be. It's frustrating because these opportunities don't come around often. It's hard when you work so much to achieve something and you constantly put yourself in situations where, in a way, you have to prove others wrong.
But once again, you fall short, and this one is particularly hard to take. There's no need to beat around the bush. This is one of those matches I wish I could replay.
There are other times when the opponent clearly dominates, like when I played Jannik (Sinner) in the quarterfinals (in Melbourne). He was just too strong and there wasn't much I could do.
But this match was within my reach, it's a shame. I don't know how I'm going to digest this. Right now, I'm seeing red, but I'll get over it. It's only tennis, right?
US Open 
