Historic thrashing: De Miñaur delivers Dimitrov double donut

Nothing like this had ever been seen before in a tournament of this caliber, especially at this stage of the draw.

On Friday, Álex de Miñaur (world No 10, age 26), unstoppable in recent days, obliterated Bulgaria’s Grigor Dimitrov (No 18, age 33) with a double 6-0 in just 44 minutes to reach the semifinals of the Monte Carlo Masters 1000. He now awaits the winner of the match between Lorenzo Musetti and Stefanos Tsitsipas.

First double 6-0 for Masters 1000 quarters

It marks the first-ever double donut (or ‘bagel’ if you prefer) in a Masters 1000 quarterfinal since the category was introduced in 1990. It’s also never happened in a semifinal or final. “You’d never won a match 6-0, 6-0 before – did you know that?” a courtside interviewer asked. De Miñaur smiled: “I knew. The only time I lost by double bagel was against Tommy Paul in the US Open junior semis. It’s crazy.”

The match itself had little narrative. Beyond Masters 1000 events, this is also the first 6-0, 6-0 result in any ATP quarterfinal since Roger Federer’s win over Mischa Zverev in Halle 2023. The Australian’s brutal dominance in Monte Carlo – he had already beaten Daniil Medvedev 6-2, 6-2 in the previous round – adds another layer of confidence on a surface that has historically challenged him.

“At the start of my career, I really struggled on clay,” he admitted. “I didn’t understand it, didn’t know how to play on it. Over the years I’ve learned what I can do to become a tough opponent on this surface. I’m just happy that I play better each year.” This will be De Miñaur’s third career semifinal on clay – he has nine ATP titles, none of them on the red dirt.

He credits the shift to a more nuanced approach:“It’s not about hitting big, powerful shots. It’s about opening up the court, using angles, heights, and different speeds. It’s about finding the balance between being too aggressive and too passive.”

It’s a new way of thinking that’s starting to pay dividends. De Miñaur is currently the winningest player on tour this season with 20 victories (6 losses). Behind him in that stat are Carlos Alcaraz and Alejandro Davidovich, who will meet in the other semifinal after each securing their 18th win of the year.

De Miñaur also sits sixth in the live ATP Race to the Finals – a remarkable leap forward. The Demon, as he’s known, is now a legitimate threat on clay.

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