AAP Tennis

De Minaur lands walkover to reach last-16 at Wimbledon

By AAP Newswire

Jul 6, 2024

Alex de Minaur in action at Wimbledon. — Alex de Minaur has been handed a walkover win by the withdrawal of Lucas Pouille at Wimbledon. -AP

Alex de Minaur's smooth path at Wimbledon has eased further after his third-round opponent Lucas Pouille pulled out with injury less than an hour before the start of their match, gifting the big Australian hope a last-16 place.

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The national No.1, who has not lost a set in his first two matches, has made the second week at Wimbledon for a second time.

He remains on a collision course to potentially meet either seven-time champion Novak Djokovic or fellow Sydneysider Alexei Popyrin in the quarter-finals.

Popyrin and world No.2 Djokovic will meet on Centre Court later on Saturday in a repeat of their 2023 Australian Open clash.

Pouille, the former French No.1 who has made a stirring return by battling through the qualifiers at Wimbledon, has been recently bedevilled by injuries.

It was reported soon before he was due to take to No.3 Court that a stomach injury had derailed him.

De Minaur will next take on either world No.34 Arthur Fils, who's beaten the Australian once already this season, or Russia's 44th-ranked Roman Safiullin.

It's the first time in his 74 grand-slam singles matches that de Minaur has been given the bonus of a walkover win.