De Minaur stunned by Nakashima in Washington quarter-finals, Osaka advances

[p]Aussie [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/de-minaur-alex/EZgZ9Xfh/"]De Minaur[/a] was left to rue his missed chances in a [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/tennis/de-minaur-a-EZgZ9Xfh/nakashima-b-ETGnbrpH/?mid=djcvlgBk"]7-6(5), 6-4[/a] loss to 33rd-ranked American [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/nakashima-brandon/ETGnbrpH/"]Brandon Nakashima[/a].[/p][p]Chile's 30th-ranked [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/tabilo-alejandro/YgVnM5vO/"]Alejandro Tabilo[/a] recovered an early break in the third set to beat US home favourite [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/shelton-ben/QNuG0Gzb/"]Shelton[/a] [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/tennis/shelton-b-QNuG0Gzb/tabilo-a-YgVnM5vO/?mid=YwVaAEsJ"]4-6, 7-5, 6-4[/a].[/p][p][b]Women's top seed [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/pegula-jessica/KdojxrAR/"]Jessica Pegula[/a] and third-seeded [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/osaka-naomi/MDM4BKiA/"]Naomi Osaka[/a] made it safely into the semi-finals, but second-seeded Ukrainian [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/monfils-elina/jyngIesG/"]Elina Svitolina[/a] was sent packing by rising Philippines star [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/eala-alexandra/ppu9X7PH/"]Alexandra Eala[/a].[/b][/p][p]Nakashima, chasing his first ATP 500-level title, avenged a loss to De Minaur in last year's Washington quarter-finals and followed up a win over the Aussie at Queen's Club in London this year.[/p][p][b]"He came out with some great serving; a lot of first serves,"[/b] De Minaur said. "[b]I played at a high level. I just threw in two pretty awful games on my serve.[/b][/p][p][b]"It's a little bit frustrating, but you live and you learn."[/b][/p][image alt="Key match stats" id="1f24e31a-2557-4448-8686-470fbc9e6ed3" credit-line="Flashscore" guid="43e9f032-03d0-42a4-a945-c3821e73bf5d" original-width="2160" original-height="2700" /][p]Nakashima booked a Saturday all-American semi-final against 10th-ranked [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/fritz-taylor/UH09iaZ6/"]Taylor Fritz[/a], who saved a match point in a [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/tennis/fritz-t-UH09iaZ6/michelsen-a-nDIhfm9l/?mid=xjS11qsm"]6-1, 3-6, 7-6(6)[/a] victory over compatriot [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/michelsen-alex/nDIhfm9l/"]Alex Michelsen[/a].[/p][p]Nakashima, whose only ATP title came at San Diego in 2022, saved six of the seven break points he faced and fired 10 aces - including one to take the first set.[/p][p][b]"He's a very quick and explosive player,"[/b] Nakashima said. [b]"I knew I had to serve well at the crucial moments and try to be aggressive."[/b][/p][p]Tabilo needed two hours and 23 minutes to subdue the hard-hitting Shelton, pulling out an array of shots that included an impressive "tweener" lob and a string of crisp volleys.[/p][p]He saved four break points in the second set and broke Shelton in the 12th game to force the third. After Shelton broke for a 3-2 lead, Tabilo broke back immediately to keep the pressure on.[/p][embed guid="63f37830-bdde-4b99-9a6a-5deb8bfbe3ad" url="https://x.com/atptour/status/2083404370507423860" social-type="twitter" /][h2][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/jodar-rafael/OdngshVK/"]Jodar[/a] rallies[/h2][p]He was rewarded for his perseverance with a break in the final game, an increasingly frustrated Shelton firing a forehand into the net on match point.[/p][p]Tabilo next faces 19-year-old Spaniard Rafael Jodar, who ousted fourth-seeded Italian [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/musetti-lorenzo/xtH2ODVI/"]Lorenzo Musetti[/a] [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/tennis/jodar-r-OdngshVK/musetti-l-xtH2ODVI/?mid=4Kbv1FV6"]1-6, 6-1, 6-4[/a].[/p][p][b]By reaching his third semi-final of the season, Jodar is assured of breaking into the top 20 in the world rankings for the first time.[/b][/p][p]World number three Pegula, who won her first WTA title at Washington in 2019, eliminated 20th-ranked [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/kalinskaya-anna/KGdcQnEf/"]Anna Kalinskaya[/a] [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/tennis/kalinskaya-a-KGdcQnEf/pegula-j-KdojxrAR/?mid=ImbfnYzf"]6-3, 7-5[/a], to reach her sixth WTA semi-final of the year.[/p][embed guid="9191a1ba-3aaa-4313-84be-0bd76eab88c3" url="https://x.com/WTA/status/2083360854771192057" social-type="twitter" /][p]The American will play for a berth in the final against fourth-seed [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/shnaider-diana/028BdVOj/"]Diana Shnaider[/a], who beat Russian compatriot [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/samsonova-liudmila/hIA4C9YT/"]Liudmila Samsonova[/a] [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/tennis/samsonova-l-hIA4C9YT/shnaider-d-028BdVOj/?mid=QmdQ816E"]6-3, 6-4[/a].[/p][p]Japan's third-seeded Osaka, a four-time Grand Slam winner, rallied to eliminate Italy's [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/cocciaretto-elisabetta/pA0aW3EL/"]Elisabetta Cocciaretto[/a] [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/tennis/cocciaretto-e-pA0aW3EL/osaka-n-MDM4BKiA/?mid=8KLucFXA"]4-6, 6-4, 6-3[/a].[/p][p]World number 13 Osaka will face Eala, who beat Svitolina [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/tennis/eala-a-ppu9X7PH/svitolina-e-jyngIesG/?mid=r1dUbKwq"]6-3, 6-4[/a].[/p][p]Eala, who ousted seventh-seeded defending champion [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/fernandez-leylah-annie/8EI3pJOd/"]Leylah Fernandez[/a] in the second round, posted her sixth win of the season over a top-10 player and reached her third semi-final of the year.[/p]