Cruz Hewitt causes massive boilover on ATP Tour debut… after a warm-up with dad<\/a><\/p>\n\u201cIt was definitely weird. I knew I was going to play him on the Tour some day, but I didn\u2019t actually expect it to be this week,\u201d De Minaur said in his on-court interview. <\/p>\n
\u201c\ufeffIt was an amazing feeling. Even all the lead up, seeing all the incredible pictures that we have together and how we\u2019ve both grown up. I\u2019m glad I managed to get through, but I\u2019m sure we\u2019re going to have many battles in the years to come.\u201d<\/p>\n
The all-Aussie clash prompted an overflow of memories in de Minaur, who has been a regular at the Christmas table of the Hewitts over the past decade after his mum Esther and his younger siblings moved back to Spain.<\/p>\n
Their meeting prompted an avalanche of photographs of the pair over more than a decade, including one dating back to a Newcombe Medal Award ceremony when the seven-time quarterfinalist was still too young to be shaving.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe lead-up, seeing all the photos, all the memories, thinking of all the time we spent together,\u201d de Minaur said. <\/p>\n
\u201cI couldn\u2019t help but ultimately be excited for it, right? I think that definitely helped me.\u201d<\/p>\n
But de Minaur, who faces American Brandon Nakashima in a quarterfinal on Saturday morning, AEST, said there was an awkwardness. The Hewitts, after all, have been in the stands for many of his biggest grand slam matches as a supporter. <\/p>\n
\u201cI think all of us as a collective were kind of, like, didn\u2019t really know how to kind of act, right? Because it\u2019s the first time we\u2019ve been in that position,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Hewitt, who now has an ATP Tour win to his name after victory over tough American Marcos Giron in the opening round, said he treasured the experience.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat was a very special match, special moment I think for both of us. I\u2019ve looked up to him my whole life pretty much, seen him play so many times, practised together,\u201d Hewitt said. <\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s like my brother, so it was special to share the court.\u201d<\/p>\n
Originally published as Demon\u2019s perfect net message for Cruz Hewitt as Aussies respond over \u2018weird\u2019 showdown<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Alex de Minaur did not need to rub his crystal ball for a glimpse into the future, 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