Alex de Minaur finally solved one of his toughest matchups on day three of the DC Open in Washington, beating Stefanos Tsitsipas in three sets and earning only his second career victory over him.
Before this match, de Minaur had lost 12 of their previous 13 meetings, which made the result stand out even more. Tsitsipas entered as the third seed, but de Minaur handled the pressure better when it mattered and moved deeper into the ATP 500 event.
A rare breakthrough in a one-sided series
For de Minaur, the win was about more than advancing in the bracket. Head-to-head records can sometimes get inside a player’s head, especially when one opponent has controlled the series for years. This was one of those cases. Tsitsipas had repeatedly had the better of the matchup, but de Minaur finally found a way through in three sets.
The result also gave Washington fans one of the clearest storylines of the day. De Minaur’s victory came during a busy stretch that also saw Taylor Fritz beat Kamil Majchrzak in straight sets. In another notable match, Lorenzo Musetti defeated Aleksandar Vukic after a late scare, keeping his Washington title hopes alive.
Other notable results in Washington
Rafael Jódar also moved on with a straight-sets win over Kei Nishikori. That made day three a productive one for several players in the draw, but de Minaur’s result carried the most weight because of the opponent and the head-to-head history attached to it.
Tsitsipas was the fourth seed, which only added to the significance of the upset. De Minaur did not just get a win; he changed the tone of a matchup that had tilted heavily against him. For a player trying to build momentum in Washington, that kind of victory can matter well beyond one tournament.
