Demon survives thriller

ALEX de Minaur has summoned every bit of his fighting spirit to win a five-set thriller against Swiss qualifier Henri Laaksonen and progress to the Australian Open third round for the first time, as fellow Aussies John Millman and Matt Ebden crashed out.

After three days of allegations of in-fighting and unrest in the Australian camp whiz kid de Minaur last night let the racquet do the talking.

It was gritty, parts clinical, but with next to no frills as de Minaur fended off an inspired Henri Laaksonen, of Switzerland, 6-4 6-2 6-7 (7-9) 4-6 6-3

De Minaur finally closed out the match after securing a clutch break in the eighth game to stop the equally gutsy Laaksonen in three hours and 52 minutes.

He just makes you play, the kid, every shot counts.

He hunts with intent and hits with conviction, only then to go back to his mark to do it all again.

“I didn’t want to lose, had to make sure I composed myself, I mentally reset for the last set and tried not to get down on myself and be positive, and fight every ball,” he said after the match.

His reward for the roundtwo win in three hours and 52 minutes is another showdown with 17-time grand slam winner Rafael Nadal who beat him in the third round at Wimbledon last year.

Nadal saw off his second Australian in as many matches, cruising past Ebden and into the third round of the Australian Open. Nadal added Ebden’s scalp to that of his first round opponent, James Duckworth, with another straight sets victory - 6-3 6-2 6-3 on Rod Laver Arena.

Millman failed to replicate his US Open quarter-final heroics, falling to Roberto Bautista Agut.

The Spanish party-pooper outlasted the Australian No.2 6-4-6-1 3-6 6-7 (8-6) 6-4.

Millman had the home crowd on their feet in Margaret Court Arena after saving four match points to win the fourth set, but couldn’t go the distance.