But now the Australian No.1 hopes his win -- a 7-5 6-2 win over Portugal's Nuno Borges -- is just a staging post on his way to what could be his first ever ATP Masters 1000 triumph.
De Minaur became just the third man in 2025 to hit the 50-win mark, following Carlos Alcaraz (67) and Taylor Fritz (50) on Wednesday, with the Sydneysider also leading the tour in 37 hard-court victories for the season.
The landmark never looked in doubt once de Minaur had earned the only break of the opening set to go ahead 6-5, starting a run of six straight games as he assumed total control in the second, eventually hitting 19 winners and making just 10 unforced errors over the course of one hour 48 minutes.
It's set up a last-eight date with 16th seed Daniil Medvedev, who outlasted Learner Tien 7-6 (8-6) 6-7 (1-7) 6-4 later on Wednesday.
De Minaur's season, with 50 wins and 18 losses, tops his previous best of 47-21 last year.
He did, though, earn two titles in 2024 and is aiming to match that by landing his second of 2025, following his triumph in Washington in August, with the draw looking wide open following the exit of his nemesis Jannik Sinner and the absence of Carlos Alcaraz.
"For me, it just shows consistency and that is what I am most proud of," said de Minaur of his landmark.
"Showing up every single week, and it is an amazing number.
"I am hoping for many more to finish off the year and not stay at 50. It has been a successful trip to Asia so far."
The brutally hot and humid conditions in Shanghai have taken their toll, with Sinner retiring against Tallon Griekspoor with cramp while Novak Djokovic was sick on court during his win over Yannick Hanfmann.
"I told myself at the start of the week it was all going to be a big mental effort to go out there and compete," said de Minaur. "I am happy to be in the quarter-finals and give myself another opportunity."
Medvedev struggled with cramp in his win. He kept telling his watching team "I'm done" and looked at one point as if he was about to quit before he eventually prevailed after nearly three hours against US teen Tien, who beat him in another gruelling affair at the Australian Open in January.
De Minaur will be facing his old Russian foe for the 12th time on Friday, with 29-year-old Medvedev leading their head-to-head 7-4 but 'Demon' winning their only 2025 clash in Monte Carlo.
The winner would then have a semi-final against the victor between 12th seed Felix Auger-Aliassime and Frenchman Arthur Rinderknech.
Canadian Auger-Aliassime outplayed Italy's Lorenzo Musetti 6-4 6-2 on Wednesday, while Rinderknech accounted for Czech Jiri Lehecka 6-3 7-6 (7-5).
Musetti's defeat is further good news for de Minaur as they're both direct rivals to grab a place in the eight-man ATP Finals in Turin.
The Italian is on 3435 points in eighth place, 110 behind de Minaur in seventh. Auger-Aliassime has moved on to 2905 points in 10th, with Briton Jack Draper, in ninth, already out for the season with injury.
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