De Minaur misses US Open seeding chance after Cincinnati upset

Alex de Minaur's hopes of securing a top-four seeding at the US Open have been dashed after a surprising fourth-round exit at the Cincinnati Masters. The Australian number one fell 6-3, 6-4 to rising French talent Arthur Fils in a match lasting just 82 minutes.

De Minaur, currently ranked world number eight, struggled to break down the 21st seed, dropping his serve once in each set. This performance means he will be seeded within the top eight at the upcoming US Open in New York. While this still guarantees he will avoid the highest-ranked players until at least the quarterfinals, he missed a significant opportunity.

With world number one Carlos Alcaraz still sidelined by injury, de Minaur had a clear path to potentially secure a top-four seeding. Such a seeding would have guaranteed he avoided heavyweights like Jannik Sinner and Alexander Zverev until the semifinals at the earliest. Meanwhile, fellow Australian Chris O'Connell is set to play his fourth-round match against American sixth seed Taylor Fritz.