His change-of-direction backhand in the seventh game was a telling blow that helped reduced Auger-Aliassime to 0-40, after the latter poorly missed a cross-court forehand before that while hitting too close to the sideline.
Auger-Aliassime saved one break point with an ace, but another wild forehand handed over the break.
Felix Auger-Aliassime went toe-to-toe with de Minaur.Credit: Getty Images
Twice, he earned break-back chances in the next game, but de Minaur was excellent on both – aggressively targeting Auger-Aliassime’s backhand on the first, then whipping a forehand winner on the second while stepping into the court.
The second set also presented both players with opportunities.
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De Minaur staved off two more break points during a typically gritty 13-minute service hold, then benefited as Auger-Aliassime showed nowhere near the same resilience in the ensuing game.
Auger-Aliassime quickly fell behind then coughed up another sloppy forehand to put de Minaur a set and a break up.
Just as it seemed like the Australian might run away with the contest, Auger-Aliassime finally dug his heels in – and he emphatically got back on level terms with a sparkling inside-out forehand winner for three-all.
That provided a brief boost to Auger-Aliassime, but it was de Minaur who brought up the next break point in the 11th game. De Minaur dumped a backhand return into the net, and his rival soon escaped, with a tie-break eventually booked in.
They traded turns in the lead and neither could convert set points on the other’s serve, then the key moment arrived at seven-all.
De Minaur produced a good serve out wide, but Auger-Aliassime’s forehand return barely clipped the baseline – and the Aussie could not keep his forehand in the court.
De Minaur could not maintain his momentum after going a set and a break up.Credit: Getty Images
The match was locked a point later, when de Minaur steered a backhand into the net. De Minaur did not appear outwardly disappointed in the aftermath, but the cracks soon showed.
Auger-Aliassime pounced on some de Minaur waywardness, including a double fault on break point, in the fifth game of the third set to secure the break.
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The world No.8 had consecutive chances in the next game to get back on serve, but Auger-Aliassime painted the line with a forehand on the second of them to get back to deuce.
A frustrated de Minaur booted a ball into the crowd after committing an error on the next point, with the Canadian eventually holding for 4-2. However, Auger-Aliassime stumbled with a two-sets-to-one lead in sight, double-faulting then over-hitting a forehand to slip back to five-all.
It was only a brief respite for de Minaur, who dropped serve again – and this time could not recover it.
But the 26-year-old does not have a reputation as the tour’s greatest fighter for no reason.
With his back against the wall and a semi-final berth slipping from his grasp, de Minaur dialled up the aggression early in the fourth set to snatch not only the momentum but a crucial service break. He followed that by holding to love with a Pat Rafter-like high backhand volley winner.
This period also coincided with de Minaur taking pace off his first serve in a desperate but successful attempt to land more first serves.
De Minaur pulled out all his tricks, including a spectacular ’tweener, to stay in the contest.Credit: Getty Images
Another twist was on the horizon. De Minaur had the chance to force a deciding set at 5-3, and had dropped only two points on serve for the set – but Auger-Aliassime produced his best return game of the match.
The Australian wilted under Auger-Aliassime’s baseline assault, skying a forehand to hand back the break without winning a single point. They were soon playing a second tie-breaker for the match, which started with both players delivering nerve-jangling double faults.
In fact, the returner won the opening five points until de Minaur crashed a forehand into the net to go 4-2 down, followed by another double fault apiece.
Auger-Aliassime did not give de Minaur another chance, finishing with a flurry to seal his passage to the semi-finals.
