Alex de Minaur breezes into last 16 at Indian Wells with win over Hubert Hurkacz

Australia's top-ranked tennis player, Alex de Minaur, cruised into the fourth round of the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells. As the ninth seed in the ATP 1000 event, the world No. 10 delivered an impressive performance, defeating Hubert Hurkacz 6-4, 6-0 in the California desert. This victory demonstrates de Minaur's strong form and determination in the tournament.

The head-to-head record between the two players was previously tied at one win apiece, indicating a balanced rivalry. Polish player Hurkacz had won their most recent encounter at the 2019 Madrid clay-court event. After a first-round bye and a straight-sets victory over veteran Belgian player David Goffin, de Minaur secured the first break of serve in the seventh game of the first set and clinched the set with the only set point.

The second set was entirely dominated by de Minaur, who broke serve again in the first, third, and fifth games, ultimately securing the win in just 74 minutes. Following the earlier exits of other Australian players including Nick Kyrgios, Jordan Thompson, Chris O'Connell, Alexei Popyrin, Aleksandar Vukic, Rinky Hijikata, Li Tu, and Adam Walton this week, the 26-year-old de Minaur is now the only remaining Australian player in the tournament. His strong performance provides hope for Australian tennis fans.

De Minaur's next opponent will be 25th seed Francisco Cerundolo, the Argentinian player who defeated Dutch player Botic van de Zandschulp 7-5, 6-4. In other matches on Monday, Jack Draper overcame an initial challenge to defeat Jenson Brooksby 7-5, 6-4, advancing to the round of 16 for the second time. The competition is intensifying as the tournament progresses.

"Jenson is an unconventional player, he makes it very difficult," the 23-year-old British No. 1 said on atptour.com, after smashing his racquet in frustration during the first set. "He makes it difficult to get any rhythm. I started slow, missed a few early chances. But I was happy with the way I fought and competed. Even though it wasn't my best tennis today, I was happy I kept my cool." Draper's resilience and adaptability were key to his victory.