‘Flying the flag proudly’: Australians rally behind Alex de Minaur in grand slam resurgence | Simon Cambers

Australia has four men in the US Open third round for the first time since 1997 as the one-time tennis powerhouse rises again

Over the past couple of years, as he has ploughed an often lonely furrow for Australia at grand slam events, Alex de Minaur has been at pains to state that things would come good, sooner rather than later. Numbers, it's all about numbers, he suggested, referring to the increasing presence of Australians in the men's top 100.

It has been a long time coming, but if this year's US Open is anything to go by, then the pyramid effect - the more players you have, the more likely some of them will push higher - looks like it is working.