Alex De Minaur Defeats Stefanos Tsitsipas to Reach Washington Open Quarter-finals
Sports Correspondent: Imran Sohail
Defending champion Alex de Minaur made a strong start to his Washington Open campaign by defeating Stefanos Tsitsipas in a hard-fought three-set match to book his place in the quarter-finals.
The Australian secured a 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 victory after battling through an intense contest on Wednesday. The win also sets up an all-Australian quarter-final against 17-year-old qualifier Cruz Hewitt, who recently earned his first ATP Tour victory.
Despite having lost most of his previous meetings with Tsitsipas, De Minaur remained composed and capitalized on key moments throughout the match. After recovering from an early setback in the opening set, he broke the Greek star’s serve twice to take the lead.
Tsitsipas responded by claiming the second set, but De Minaur regained control in the decider with an early break of serve and held his advantage to seal an important victory.
Speaking after the match, De Minaur acknowledged his difficult record against Tsitsipas but expressed satisfaction with his performance.
“My record against him hasn’t been the best, so I’m pleased with the way I handled today’s match and found a way to win,” De Minaur said.
The Australian will now face fellow countryman Cruz Hewitt, the son of former world No. 1 Lleyton Hewitt. De Minaur joked that he fully expects Lleyton Hewitt to support his son during their upcoming quarter-final.
Taylor Fritz Advances to Quarter-finals
Third-seeded American Taylor Fritz also progressed to the last eight with a comfortable 6-3, 6-4 victory over Poland’s Kamil Majchrzak, continuing his strong run in the tournament.
Naomi Osaka Moves Into Last Eight
In the women’s draw, four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka advanced to the quarter-finals after American Ashlyn Krueger retired due to injury while trailing 6-3, 3-1.
Osaka wished her opponent a speedy recovery and admitted it was challenging to stay focused during the match after Krueger received treatment for an ankle issue.
The Japanese star will next take on Italy’s Elisabetta Cocciaretto, who defeated eighth seed Emma Navarro in three sets to reach the quarter-finals.
Alexandra Eala Continues Impressive Season
Filipina rising star Alexandra Eala produced another standout performance by eliminating defending champion Leylah Fernandez with a 6-2, 7-6 (7-1) victory.
Eala showed remarkable determination by recovering from a 5-1 deficit in the second set before closing out the match in a tie-break.
The victory adds to an impressive season for the 21-year-old, who has continued to make significant progress on the WTA Tour with several notable performances at major tournaments.
