ATP roundup: Alex de Minaur wins D.C. title in thrilling comeback

De Minaur digs out of the grave to claim Washington crown

A week after admitting his confidence on hard courts “needed a spark,” Alex de Minaur found a bonfire in the nation’s capital. The Aussie saved three match points, roared back from 2–5 in the decider, and edged Alejandro Davidovich Fokina 5‑7, 6‑1, 7‑6 (3) in 3 hours 3 minutes to pocket his 10th career title — and first at ATP‑500 level since Acapulco 2023.

• Turning point: Down love‑30 serving at 2‑5, de Minaur rediscovered his first‑strike patterns, saved all three match points in a gruelling 18‑point 10th game and forced the Spaniard into a flurry of forehand errors.
• Stat sheet: De Minaur hit nine aces, faced eight break points (saving five) and finished +12 in winners‑to‑errors differential. Davidovich Fokina actually struck more winners (28) but bled 57 unforced errors — 19 in the final set alone.
• What it means: The Australian vaults back into the Top 10 Race to Turin discussion and reminds futures bettors why scrambling defence paired with first‑serve precision can be profitable on North‑American hard courts. Curious how to price comebacks? Our quick read on live betting momentum swings offers a roadmap.

Farewell, Vasek — and hello, Nicolas: Day 1 drama in Toronto

Sunday’s opening round at the National Bank Open delivered a pair of Canadian stories separated by a generation.

• Vasek Pospisil’s last lap: The 35‑year‑old former Wimbledon doubles champion bowed out 6‑2, 3‑6, 6‑3 to Argentina’s Facundo Bagnis, closing a 17‑season career that peaked at No. 25 in singles. Pospisil still ripped 10 aces, but Bagnis converted both break chances in the final set and blunted Vasek’s net forays with heavy topspin passing shots.
• Wild‑card wonder: Eighteen‑year‑old Nicolas Arseneault, ranked No. 636, seized his moment by upsetting France’s Valentin Royer 6‑3, 7‑6 (4). Arseneault won 75 percent of first‑serve points and kept his composure while Royer donated 48 unforced errors — proof that aggression without discipline is bankroll poison (see keys to finding the right tennis handicapper).

Other opening‑day winners included Americans Emilio Nava, Reilly Opelka and Learner Tien; Chile’s Tomás Barrios Vera; French prospect Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard; Russia’s Roman Safiullin; Aussie Adam Walton; and Argentines Juan Pablo Ficovich & Tomás Etcheverry. Early evidence suggests quick Toronto courts will reward first‑ball aggression — a cue for totals bettors eyeing the overs vs. unders dynamic in tennis.