Alex de Minauer came together from set down to save three championship points for a 5-7, 6-1, 7-6 (3) victory over Alejandro Davidevich Fokina in the final of Sunday’s DC Open.
De Minaur, a 26-year-old Australian, won his 10th ATP title and his eighth on the hard court as he finished seventh in the tournament. He was runner-up for Washington’s Alexander Zverev in 2018, and will be in the top 10 world rankings ahead of the US opening next month.
No. 12 seed Davidovich Fokina led 5-2 on Sunday in the third set, falling 0-4 in his final career despite standing only one point from the victory. It was his second time frittering multiple match points in this year’s tournament finals.
The 26-year-old Spaniard enters the week with No. 26 and makes his debut in the top 20 on Monday. He remains the highest ranked man without a title.
“Alejandro, it’s too good that you don’t have any of these, it’s certainly coming,” De Minauer said at the on-court ceremony gesturing the trophy. “You deserve it today, I’ve been lucky. You’re a hell of competitors and a hell of players. No one on tour wants to play you.”
After their match, De Minaur walked over and sat next to Davidevich Fokina to comfort him after a fierce battle defeat.
“Congratulations to Alex. He deserves victory. He was fighting all the f–in balls,” Davidevich Fokina said. “He was always pushing my limits.”
Davidovich Fokina recalls that he needed a wild card to play for US capital last year and is pleased to ensure he at least was able to guarantee a career-high rise to the 19th place ranking.
“We were doing the work we had to do to be in the middle of the year in the top 20 before we started this year,” he said. “This week we did not just the trophies, but it’s definitely going to keep going, pushing the limits and pushing harder.”
The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to the report.