'He reminds me of a young Lleyton Hewitt'
Aussie teenager Alex De Minaur is drawing comparisons to Lleyton Hewitt after his remarkable debut victory at the Australian Open.
De Minaur hung tough to defeat Austrian journeyman Gerald Melzer in the opening round of the Australian Open on Monday.
The 17-year-old De Minaur came from two sets to one down to win 5-7 6-3 2-6 7-6 (7-2) 6-1 on his grand slam debut.
MORE: Who is Alex De Minaur?
During the first set with De Minaur already showing flashes of brilliance, commentator and Aussie tennis great John Fitzgerald heaped on some incredible praise.
"He's an impressive kid," Fitzgerald said. "He has the understanding of where to hit the ball, then where to move."
"He knows intuitive stuff already at a young age how to play.
"I see a little bit of a young Lleyton Hewitt and I don't say that lightly.
"But he is beyond his years and I'm really impressed so far."
Hewitt and De Minaur. Image: Getty
The match swung the Australian's way during the fourth-set tiebeak and he was able to ride that momentum throughout a dominant deciding set in a marathon encounter that lasted three hours and 43 minutes.
"Unbelievable experience, definitely the pinnacle of my career right here," he told Seven after the win.
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