Davidovich Fokina stuns Fritz to reach Citi Open semifinals
In a dramatic late-night thriller at the Citi Open, Spain’s Alejandro Davidovich Fokina staged a remarkable comeback to upset top-seeded American Taylor Fritz, winning 7-6(3), 3-6, 7-5 and securing a spot in the semifinals of the ATP 500 tournament.
Davidovich Fokina, the No. 12 seed and world No. 26, found himself down 2-5 in the final set but mounted an inspired rally, winning five consecutive games to close out the match at 1:45 a.m. local time at the William H.G. FitzGerald Tennis Center, News.Az reports, citing foreign media.
The 25-year-old will next face fourth seed Ben Shelton, who earlier eliminated Frances Tiafoe in straight sets (7-6(2), 6-4) on a weather-interrupted day that also saw Corentin Moutet shock Daniil Medvedev.
This marks Davidovich Fokina’s fifth semifinal appearance in 2025. His Citi Open journey has included commanding victories over Learner Tien (6-2, 6-2) and Jaume Munar (6-4, 6-2). His win over Fritz adds another top-10 scalp to his résumé, bringing his total to 11 such victories. Notably, he also beat Fritz earlier this year in Delray Beach.
Taylor Fritz, currently ranked No. 4, came into Washington on a strong run, having posted a 15-3 record since June. That stretch included titles in Stuttgart and Eastbourne and a Wimbledon semifinal appearance. He looked in control at 5-2 in the final set, but fatigue appeared to catch up with him, losing the final five games of the match.
Fritz had previously dispatched Matteo Arnaldi and Aleksandar Vukic in straight sets, but couldn’t finish the job against the Spaniard, who dug deep to pull off one of the tournament’s biggest upsets.
Citi Open Quarterfinal Results, July 26
Ben Shelton (4) def. Frances Tiafoe (6) – 7-6(2), 6-4
Alex De Minaur (7) def. Brandon Nakashima (14) – 6-4, 6-4
Corentin Moutet (LL) def. Daniil Medvedev (8) – 1-6, 6-4, 6-4
Alejandro Davidovich Fokina (12) def. Taylor Fritz (1) – 7-6(3), 3-6, 7-5
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