The DC Open in Washington delivered a dramatic day of quarterfinals on Friday. On the ATP side, defending champion Alex De Minaur and second seed Ben Shelton were both eliminated. On the WTA side, Alexandra Eala claimed another top-10 scalp while Jessica Pegula overcame Anna Kalinskaya in straight sets.
Nakashima ends De Minaur's title defence
Brandon Nakashima confirmed his status as De Minaur's nemesis by ousting the defending champion 7-6(5), 6-4. The American, ranked 33rd, had already beaten the Australian in the Queen's quarterfinals last month and now leads their head-to-head 3-1. Nakashima controlled the first-set tiebreak before producing a decisive break in the second set. De Minaur sees his run of seven consecutive Washington victories come to an end, and his ranking is projected to drop to No. 7 on Monday.
Tabilo stuns Shelton in a rollercoaster encounter
In the most fiercely contested ATP match of the day, Alejandro Tabilo overturned Shelton 4-6, 7-5, 6-4 after saving four break points at a critical juncture of the second set. The Chilean, rock-solid from the baseline, exploited the American's return errors to snatch the second set before dominating the decider. Shelton, who boasted a 15-2 record at ATP 500 events this season, leaves Washington with a bitter defeat in front of his home crowd.
The other half of the men's draw saw Rafael Jodar continue his remarkable run. The 19-year-old Spaniard ousted fourth seed Lorenzo Musetti 1-6, 6-1, 6-4 in a match of wild swings. Jodar will face Tabilo in Saturday's semifinals.
Eala strikes again, Pegula cruises
The WTA draw confirmed Alexandra Eala's meteoric rise. The 20-year-old Filipino defeated world No. 10 Elina Svitolina 6-3, 6-4 to reach her third semifinal of the season. It was her sixth top-10 victory of 2026, a statistic that marks her out as one of the most dangerous players on tour.
Top seed Pegula ended her streak of five consecutive three-setters against Kalinskaya by winning 6-3, 7-5 in straight sets. The American controlled proceedings from start to finish, confirming her status as the tournament favourite. She will face fourth seed Diana Shnaider in the semifinals.
Naomi Osaka completed the WTA last four by defeating Elisabetta Cocciaretto 4-6, 6-4, 6-3. The former world No. 1, who had not reached a semifinal since the 2025 US Open, had to rally from a set down. She will face Eala on Saturday in their first career meeting.
Saturday's semifinal lineup
The semifinal programme promises fireworks. ATP: Taylor Fritz vs Nakashima and Jodar vs Tabilo. WTA: Eala vs Osaka and Pegula vs Shnaider. Four matches that will determine the finalists in a tournament that has already lost its top two men's seeds.
Key figures
Nakashima leads De Minaur 3-1 in their head-to-head and reaches his fourth semifinal of the season. Tabilo defeats Shelton 4-6, 7-5, 6-4 after saving four break points. Eala has six top-10 victories in 2026. Pegula beats Kalinskaya in straight sets for the first time in six meetings. Osaka reaches her first semifinal since the 2025 US Open.
