ATP 500 Washington: De Minaur and Shelton Advance, Fritz Ousted in Quarterfinals
After Corentin Moutet became the first to secure his spot in the semifinals, the three other players who will compete in the ATP 500 Washington semifinals are now confirmed.
The Frenchman, a lucky loser who replaced the injured Holger Rune earlier this week, will face Alex De Minaur in an attempt to reach his third career ATP final.
The Australian has quietly held his ground in the American capital. The seventh seed and world No. 13 defeated Brandon Nakashima (6-4, 6-4 in 1h33) with 21 winners.
A finalist in Rotterdam earlier this season, De Minaur will aim to reach his second final of the year, much like Moutet, who was one step away from the title on the grass courts of Mallorca before Wimbledon. The Australian has now won 20 matches on hard courts this season—more than any other player.
Meanwhile, Ben Shelton won the all-American quarterfinal clash against Frances Tiafoe. The world No. 8, who lost to his compatriot at last year’s US Open, got his revenge this time, winning in straight sets (7-6, 6-4).
The 22-year-old left-hander will now compete for a spot in the final against Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, who had to dig deep to overcome Taylor Fritz. The two faced off for the fourth time this season, and the match lived up to expectations.
Fritz, the top seed, seemed to have done the hard part when he served for the match at 5-3 in the third set. However, the tenacious Spaniard, who was even down 5-2, refused to give up and found the physical and mental strength to win the last five games (7-6, 3-6, 7-5 in 3h02).
Washington 
Davis Cup: between reforms, criticism and national culture 
When tennis stars change courts: from Noah the singer to Safin the deputy, another match – the battle of reinvention 
As a laboratory for tomorrow’s tennis, does the Next Gen Masters have a future? 
Tennis: the little-known truths about the offseason, between rest, stress and physical survival 
