Key Takeaways
- Alex de Minaur beat Stefanos Tsitsipas in the Washington Open.
- The match set up an all-Australian clash with teen Cruz Hewitt.
- De Minaur joked that Lleyton Hewitt, his Davis Cup captain, might root against him.
Alex de Minaur secured a 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 victory over Stefanos Tsitsipas in the Washington Open to set up an all-Australian clash with teenager Cruz Hewitt.
The match was not without its challenges; de Minaur had lost his last 12 encounters against Tsitsipas but managed to turn the tables on Wednesday.
De Minaur, who admitted that he has struggled in head-to-head matches against Tsitsipas, said: '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.'
The 17-year-old qualifier Hewitt, son of Australian tennis legend Lleyton Hewitt, will face de Minaur in the next round. De Minaur added humorously: 'I would expect him to be in his son’s box, and rightfully so.'
In other matches, third-seeded American Taylor Fritz advanced with a 6-3, 6-4 win over Poland's Kamil Majchrzak.
Women's third seed Naomi Osaka progressed after American Ashlyn Krueger retired while trailing 6-3, 3-1. Osaka, a four-time Grand Slam champion, expressed concern for her opponent’s well-being: 'It’s a tough situation, and I hope that she gets better ASAP.'
Elisabetta Cocciaretto of Italy defeated eighth-seeded American Emma Navarro in a thrilling match to reach the quarter-finals. Cocciaretto triumphed 6-3, 4-6, 6-3 over Navarro.
Filipina tennis star Alexandra Eala continued her impressive season by defeating defending women’s champion Leylah Fernandez. Eala, now ranked 28th in the world, secured a 6-2, 7-6 (7/1) win over Fernandez after battling back from 5-1 down in the second set.
Eala's victory marked another milestone for her and the Philippines tennis scene, following her stunning performance at Wimbledon where she defeated Iga Swiatek to reach the last 16 of a Grand Slam.
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.
Alex de Minaur
It’s a tough situation, and I hope that she gets better ASAP.
Naomi Osaka
