Alex de Minaur has given his bid for a third consecutive appearance at the Nitto ATP Finals an early boost after opening his China Open campaign with a hard-fought victory over Mariano Navone.
The Australian overcame Navone 7-6(4), 6-2 in just under two hours in Beijing, surviving a difficult first set before taking control of the match.
De Minaur's biggest test came on serve, but he handled the pressure well by saving nine of the 10 break points he faced. After edging through the opening-set tiebreak, he pulled away in the second to secure his place in the next round.
The victory is particularly important as De Minaur continues to chase a place in the season-ending event in Turin. He entered the China Open 11th in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin and needs a strong finish to the season to close the gap on the players above him.
The Australian has already built an impressive record on hard courts in recent seasons. Since 2023, he has collected 62 ATP 500 match wins, the most on Tour during that period.
However, De Minaur is keeping his attention on his own performances rather than constantly checking the standings.
“My focus is on my game and my results,” he said. “If I play well, I'll be in the conversation. It's as simple as that.”
His next challenge in Beijing will be Quentin Halys. De Minaur has already shown that he can make a deep run at the tournament, having reached the semi-finals during a previous appearance.
The Australian is not the only player chasing a place in Turin who made a strong start.
Young Czech player Jakub Mensik also advanced after defeating Alexander Bublik 6-4, 7-6(5). The 21-year-old has now recorded a career-best 34 tour-level victories this season as he continues to push for his first ATP Finals appearance.
Mensik will next face Francisco Cerundolo, who advanced after defeating Botic van de Zandschulp.
While some contenders made progress, Flavio Cobolli suffered a significant setback.
The Italian, who began the tournament fifth in the Live Race, was beaten 6-3, 6-2 by Roman Safiullin. Cobolli remains in a strong position in the standings for now, but his early exit puts more pressure on him to produce a better result at the upcoming Rolex Shanghai Masters.
Safiullin, meanwhile, earned a difficult second-round meeting with Andrey Rublev. The Russian survived a tight battle against Tallon Griekspoor, winning 6-4, 5-7, 7-6(6).
The China Open draw also opened up considerably after Hubert Hurkacz eliminated seventh seed Learner Tien.
Hurkacz recovered from losing the first set to defeat Tien 5-7, 6-3, 6-4, leaving De Minaur as the only seeded player remaining in the bottom half of the draw.
The former top-10 player will next meet qualifier Arthur Gea.
With several contenders for Turin already facing contrasting fortunes in Beijing, De Minaur has made the most of his opportunity. His opening victory keeps his qualification hopes moving in the right direction, while the results elsewhere have added another layer of intrigue to the increasingly competitive race for the final places in Turin.
