Washington (United States) (AFP) – Alex de Minaur launched his Washington Open title defense with a 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 victory over Stefanos Tsitsipas on Wednesday to set an all-Australian clash with teen Cruz Hewitt. Tsitsipas, the former world number three from Greece, had won 12 of their prior 13 encounters, but de Minaur shrugged off a shaky start to turn the tables.
After surviving a break point in the fourth game, he handed Tsitsipas a break with back-to-back double-faults. The Aussie fought back with two breaks of his own and survived another break point in the 10th game to pocket the first set. Tsitsipas broke first again in the second set and held on to force the third. But de Minaur took advantage of an unforced error by Tsitsipas to seize an early break and held on for the win.
Related news
“It’s no secret my head-to-head isn’t the greatest against him. He’s gotten the better of me many, many times,” said de Minaur. “I’m happy with how it went today…played the match on its own merits, and ultimately found a way in a tricky, tricky match.” De Minaur next faces 17-year-old qualifier Hewitt, the son of Aussie great Lleyton Hewitt, who captured his first-ever ATP Tour victory earlier this week.
De Minaur joked that he won’t be offended if his country’s Davis Cup captain — former world number one Lleyton Hewitt — is rooting against him. “I would expect him to be in his son’s box, and rightfully so,” de Minaur said.
In other men’s matches, third-seeded American Taylor Fritz reached the quarter-finals with a 6-3, 6-4 victory over Poland’s Kamil Majchrzak. Women’s third seed Naomi Osaka also punched her quarter-final ticket, advancing when American Ashlyn Krueger retired while trailing 6-3, 3-1. Japan’s Osaka, a four-time Grand Slam champion coming off a quarter-final appearance at Wimbledon, cut a confident figure on the Washington hardcourts.
But she admitted it was hard to stay focused with Krueger still hindered after receiving treatment on her right ankle while trailing 4-1 in the first set. “It’s a tough situation, and I hope that she gets better ASAP,” Osaka said. She’ll next face Italian Elisabetta Cocciaretto, who toppled eighth-seeded American Emma Navarro 6-3, 4-6, 6-3.
Filipina rising star Alexandra Eala dumped out defending women’s champion Leylah Fernandez to reach the quarter-finals. Eala, 21, defeated the seventh seed from Canada 6-2, 7-6 (7/1), battling back from 5-1 down in an epic second set. It continues a breakout season for Eala, who stunned Iga Swiatek at Wimbledon last month to become the first Philippines player to reach the last 16 of a Grand Slam.
“Everything’s kind of a blur right now. I really made an effort to stay in the moment, and I was ready for anything that could have happened,” Eala, now ranked 28th in the world, said.
© 2024 AFP
