There’s been plenty of final set battles at the 2026 Citi Open all week in Washington, D.C., and with championship weekend arriving, expect lots of matches down to the wire on Friday’s quarterfinal day. LWOT previews the upcoming four men’s matches, featuring top seeds Alex de Minaur and Ben Shelton.
ATP Washington Quarterfinal Predictions
Taylor Fritz vs Alex Michelsen
Head-to-head: Michelsen 2-0
Fritz hasn’t beaten the underdog Michelsen yet, and in their last time facing off, Michelsen stunned the World No. 10 in straight sets. However, this could be a great opportunity for Fritz to flip the switch. Michelsen will play his eighth match in just over a week, as an ATP Challenger Tour champion last week, and one has to wonder if the amount of tennis will get to him physically. The No. 3 seed has been vulnerable to his own injury demons in 2026, but he’s served well and should be able to overpower Michelsen from the baseline. I’m picking the top-ranked American in straight sets, but each set will likely come down to the big points late.
Prediction: Fritz in 2
Rafael Jodar vs Lorenzo Musetti
Head-to-head: First meeting
Many fans have been pulling for Musetti to mount a strong comeback on the ATP Tour, and the Italian has finally started to build some momentum on American soil. However, his latest win over Aleksandar Vukic showcased a bit of rust; the No. 4 seed simply could not land enough first serves, or convert on break points — he capitalized on just 31% of the break point opportunities in his second round 6-3 5-7 6-3 win. Jodar has been dominant so far in Washington D.C., and his big game matches up well on the outdoor hard courts. The Spaniard has yet to drop a set this week, and I think he’ll upset the former World No. 5.
Prediction: Jodar in 3
Ben Shelton vs Alejandro Tabilo
Head-to-head: First meeting
Shelton has taken the scenic route this week in Washington D.C. by going the distance in his two wins. It’s given home fans quite the thrill on the Stadium court, though Shelton will have to be more clinical if he wants to go all the way at the ATP 500 event. Like Ugo Humbert–the player Shelton just beat in a back-and-forth 6-7(3) 6-3 6-4 second-round win–Tabilo is a lefty capable of producing powerful groundstrokes, though he also plays with heavy topspin. This could force some unforced errors off Shelton’s groundstrokes, which can prove to be his weakness at times. However, the American has lots of confidence in front of primetime crowds, and with this match playing out under the lights on Friday, he’ll be able to use his serve and dig out of trouble. Tabilo’s consistency and scrappiness might mean another long battle is on the cards.
Prediction: Shelton in 3
Alex de Minaur vs Brandon Nakashima
Head-to-head: Nakashima 2-1
Similar to Fritz facing some underdog foes like Michelsen, De Minaur hasn’t been able to solve Nakashima and his baseline power. Nakashima won the pair’s last meeting, at the 2026 ATP Queen’s event in a 7-5 6-3 grass-court win. Both players are comfortable constructing points from the baseline, though Nakashima arguably has the better backhand, and de Minaur has the upper hand with his speed. The conditions seem ripe for an upset on Friday afternoon, but de Minaur is clearly comfortable on these courts as the defending champion and is a level-headed player even when up against a home-crowd favorite. Look for the Aussie to prevail deep in a third set.
Prediction: De Minaur in 3
Main Photo Credit: Mike Frey-Imagn Images