Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the ATP Washington match.
This match in Washington holds particular importance for Alex de Minaur. Back in June, he suffered a surprise loss to Jiří Lehečka on grass in London. Now, the Australian has a strong chance to settle the score on a surface that plays more to his strengths.
Alex de Minaur
Alex de Minaur opened his campaign in Washington with a confident win over Bu Yunchaokete (7:6, 6:2). While it may have taken him some time to transition from the grass season, he showed excellent returning and sustained consistency in baseline exchanges in the second set. Throughout this season, the Australian has performed well on hard courts, reaching at least the third round in five out of six tournaments played on the surface.
Jiří Lehečka
Jiří Lehečka had a tough outing in his opening match, narrowly edging past the little-known Zachary Svajda (ATP No.153). He dropped the second set in a tie-break and was broken in the third. In 2025, the Czech has struggled in tie-breaks on hard courts—losing five out of six—and often commits a high number of unforced errors when trying to play aggressively against top-tier opponents. His campaign on this surface has been below expectations, with early eliminations in Dubai, Indian Wells, and Miami.
Alex de Minaur vs Jiří Lehečka Prediction
Alex de Minaur has shown a consistently higher level on hard courts, while Jiří Lehečka has been well below par. The Australian is well positioned to reverse his previous result and book a place in the quarter-finals.
