Nakashima ousts top seed de Minaur; Osaka advances at Washington

Brandon Nakashima ended the hopes of top-seeded Australian Alex de Minaur in the Washington Open men’s singles on Friday, while women’s top seed Jessica Pegula and defending champion Naomi Osaka advanced to the semifinals. The match, which took place at the Kastler Tennis Center in Washington, saw Nakashima defeat de Minaur 7-6 (7/5), 6-4 in a tightly contested encounter. The result marks Nakashima’s first victory over de Minaur since their meeting in the 2023 Washington quarter-finals. De Minaur, ranked world number six, admitted frustration after losing key points on his serve, acknowledging that he “threw in two pretty awful games” during the match. Nakashima, ranked world number 33, maintained composure throughout, winning eight of his 10 aces and never trailing in the tiebreak. He broke in the ninth game of the second set before sealing the win with a service winner. Nakashima’s victory sets up a Saturday semifinal against Taylor Fritz, the 10th-ranked American who edged out fellow countryman Alex Michelsen 6-1, 3-6, 7-6 (8/6). The match lasted two hours and 12 minutes, with Fritz prevailing in a dramatic final tiebreak. This will be the first time this year that two American players have reached the semifinals of the Washington Open. On the women’s side, Pegula continued her strong performance, defeating 20th-ranked Russian Anna Kalinskaya 6-3, 7-5 to secure her sixth WTA semifinal of the year. Pegula, who won her first WTA title at the 2019 Washington Open, expressed confidence in her ability to target specific shots, noting that she focused heavily on this strategy during the match. She will face fourth seed Diana Shnaider in the semifinals, who defeated compatriot Liudmila Samsonova 6-3, 6-4. Naomi Osaka, the Japanese third seed and four-time Grand Slam champion, also progressed after overcoming Italian Elisabetta Cocciaretto 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 in a match lasting two hours and 11 minutes. Osaka admitted to struggling with energy in the first set, describing her effort as “low” despite her determination. She rebounded strongly in the third set, breaking Cocciaretto in the second game and holding serve from there. Osaka will next face either second-seeded Ukrainian Elina Svitolina or Philippine qualifier Alexandra Eala. Pegula’s path to the final includes facing Shnaider, who has been dominant in recent matches. Shnaider, the fourth seed, showcased consistency in her win over Samsonova, maintaining control throughout both sets. Pegula, meanwhile, aims for her 12th career WTA title and third of the year following victories in Dubai and Charleston. Nakashima, who previously claimed his only ATP title at San Diego in 2022, improved his record against de Minaur to 3-1, including a previous victory at the Queen’s Club in June. His aggressive style and ability to perform under pressure were evident in his win over de Minaur, particularly in the second set where he broke and held to close out the match. The Washington Open continues to draw attention as a key tournament on the tennis calendar, with both men’s and women’s draws shaping up to feature several top-tier players. As the tournament progresses, fans will be watching closely for further upsets and standout performances.