Upsets shake DC Open quarterfinals as Nakashima, Tabilo and Eala reach semifinals

Defending champion de Minaur and second seed Shelton eliminated

In a wave of upsets at the Mubadala DC Open quarterfinals in Washington, defending champion and top-seeded Alex de Minaur was ousted by American Brandon Nakashima, who prevailed 7-6 (7/5), 6-4. Second-seeded Ben Shelton, a US home favourite, was knocked out by Chile's Alejandro Tabilo 4-6, 7-5, 6-4 in two hours and 23 minutes, with Tabilo saving four break points in the second set and breaking Shelton in the 12th game to force a deciding set before sealing it with an array of volleys and a "tweener" lob.

Nakashima and Fritz set up all-American semifinal

World number 33 Nakashima, chasing his first ATP 500-level title, avenged last year's Washington quarter-final loss to de Minaur and followed up a win over the Australian at Queen's Club in London earlier this season. He saved six of the seven break points he faced and fired 10 aces, including one to take the first set. Tenth-ranked Taylor Fritz joined him in the semifinals by saving a match point to beat compatriot Alex Michelsen 6-1, 3-6, 7-6 (8/6), setting up a Saturday all-American men's semifinal.

Tabilo faces teenager Jodar in the other men's semifinal

Nineteen-year-old Spaniard Rafael Jodar continued his breakthrough run by upsetting fourth-seeded Italian Lorenzo Musetti 1-6, 6-1, 6-4. By reaching his third semifinal of the season, Jodar is assured of breaking into the top 20 of the world rankings for the first time. Tabilo will meet Jodar in the other men's semifinal after his gruelling win over Shelton.

Eala stuns Svitolina as Pegula and Osaka advance on the women's side

The women's quarterfinals produced their own top-seed casualty when Philippines' Alexandra Eala, 20, beat second-seeded Ukrainian Elina Svitolina 6-3, 6-4. It was Eala's sixth win of the season over a top-10 player and her third semifinal of the year, coming after she had ousted seventh-seeded defending champion Leylah Fernandez in the second round. Top-seeded Jessica Pegula, the 2019 Washington champion, eliminated 20th-ranked Anna Kalinskaya 6-3, 7-5 for her sixth WTA semifinal of the year, and third-seeded Naomi Osaka, a four-time Grand Slam winner, rallied past Italy's Elisabetta Cocciaretto 4-6, 6-4, 6-3. Fourth-seeded Diana Shnaider completed the women's last four by beating Russian compatriot Liudmila Samsonova 6-3, 6-4.

Semifinal lineup set for Saturday

The women's semifinals will pair Pegula against Shnaider and Osaka against Eala, a first career meeting between the four-time Grand Slam champion and the rising Filipina. The men's semifinals feature Nakashima against Fritz and Tabilo against Jodar. Eala, who previously defeated Svitolina in the Berlin Tennis Open quarterfinals last June, said of facing Osaka: "She is, of course, such an accomplished player... I'm really excited."