Alex De Minaur highlights the change in approach between first and second sets after beating Nuno Borges to reach Shanghai Masters 2025 QF

Alex De Minaur made it to the quarterfinals of the Shanghai Masters 2025 with a 7-5, 6-2 victory against Nuno Borges. It marked a significant moment for the Australian, who recorded his 50th tour-level win. Asked about the milestone after the match, De Minaur said:

"For me, it just shows consistency, right? Just showing up every single week. It's an amazing number, and I'm hoping for many more to finish off the year than stay at 50. But it's been a successful trip so far, I told myself at the start of the week that it was all going to be a very big mental effort to go out there and compete, so I'm happy to be in the quarterfinals and give myself another opportunity."

While the first set was close, De Minaur made light work of his opponent in the second set. Speaking about his approach against Borges, he said:

"It was my first time playing Nuno, so I had to make a lot of adjustments. I think he's quite a tricky opponent. He's got a very flat backhand; he looks to get in line very early in the rally to get a forehand exchange. He's got some exceptional hands and range, especially on the forehand side, where he can hit a really tricky, kind of squash shot, and that is very hard to control. So it did take a little bit of adjustment, and I had to find my way to see what happens and what was suiting me today. But I'm glad I was able to overcome that very tough first set and then in the second set come out and be a bit more aggressive, and play more my brand of tennis and get through in two very tough sets."

De Minaur was asked about finishing the year strong, but the Australian was firmly focused on the task at hand:

"Every match is important. That's the way I look at it every time. Every time I step on the court am not looking at more importance or less importance. I'm just going out there and taking it match by match. Look, there's plenty of points up for grabs, and I know we don't have that many tournaments left, but a lot can happen. So for me it's about doing my best and staying in the moment. What's the point of me thinking 4-5 weeks ahead when I'm here now in the quarterfinals?"