Alex de Minaur sees off the challenge of Holger Rune to reach final at cinch Championships

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Alex de Minaur saw off the challenge of Holger Rune to reach his maiden final at the cinch Championships at Queen's Club. </p>

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The 24-year-old 'Demon' roared to a 6-3 7-6 (2) victory to become the first Australian to make the final since Lleyton Hewitt won his fourth title in 2006. </p>

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De Minaur, the boyfriend of Britain's Katie Boulter, is a proven performer on the grass; he is a former Eastbourne champion and also reached the fourth round at Wimbledon last year. </p>

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Danish rising star Rune, by contrast, remains a work in progress on grass. His win over Maxime Cressy on Tuesday was the first of his career on the surface. </p>

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De Minaur broke the Rune serve in the very first game and repeated the trick in the ninth to wrap up the opening set. </p>

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Rune, 20, fashioned a first break point at the start of the second, but De Minaur slammed the door shut with two consecutive winners and an ace. </p>

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De Minaur had a break point for 5-3 to take a stranglehold on the match, but he netted a simple forehand to let his opponent off the hook. </p>

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However, he totally dominated the tie-break, dropping just two points, on his way to victory in an hour and 40 minutes. </p>

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De Minaur, who beat Andy Murray in the first round, said: "I play pretty decent on grass and I'm having an amazing week. </p>

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"That was my best match so far, so happy days. One more to go. It's a pretty special tournament so let's hope I can go one better tomorrow. I'll do my best." </p>

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The semi-final was played in sweltering heat and twice interrupted by spectators needing medical treatment in the stands. </p>

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"I want to make sure the people who seeked medical assistance are all right," added De Minaur. "Keep hydrated, it's a hot one out there!" </p>

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