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WASHINGTON<\/strong> \u2014 Top seed and defending champion Alex de Minaur<\/a> overcame a daunting psychological hurdle on Wednesday night, defeating Greece\u2019s Stefanos Tsitsipas<\/a> in three sets to open his 2026 Mubadala DC Open<\/a> campaign.<\/p>\n Entering the match with a glaring 1-12 head-to-head deficit against the former World No. 3, the Australian relied on tactical adjustments and his trademark defensive resilience to seal the victory in just over two hours.<\/p>\n \u201cComing in, I really didn\u2019t have too many expectations. It was a quick turnaround,\u201d De Minaur noted in his post-match interview, referencing his recent wedding to WTA star Katie Boulter and their subsequent Italian honeymoon. \u201cIt wasn\u2019t pretty tennis, but I did just enough to get over the line.\u201d<\/p>\n The opening set saw Tsitsipas, who has slid to No. 51 in the ATP rankings, take an early 4-2 break lead. However, De Minaur quickly adjusted his service placement, steering clear of Tsitsipas\u2019 dangerous inside-out forehand zone. The strategic shift allowed the Australian to rattle off four straight games to snatch the first set 6-4.<\/p>\n Tsitsipas responded by raising his aggression in the second set, utilizing eight total aces to level the match. In the decider, De Minaur tightened his baseline play, capitalising on a crucial service break to lead 3-1 before serving out the match.<\/p>\n The win marks De Minaur\u2019s 60th victory at the ATP 500 level since the start of 2023, the most of any player on tour.<\/p>\n The triumph sets up a highly anticipated second-round encounter against 17-year-old wildcard Cruz Hewitt<\/a>. The teenager, who earned his maiden ATP tour victory earlier in the week, is the son of former World No. 1 Lleyton Hewitt\u2014De Minaur\u2019s long-time mentor and Davis Cup captain.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s going to be a lot of fun,\u201d De Minaur said of the generational matchup. \u201cHe\u2019s completely earned his right to be where he is, and I\u2019m looking forward to it.\u201d<\/p>\nTurning the Tide<\/h2>\n
Next Up: A Historic All-Aussie Battle<\/h2>\n