Cruelty and Bad Luck Target Davidovich

Andrés Tomás Rico | 28 Jul 2025 | 03.11

Cruelty is unleashed on Davidovich. Photo: Getty Images

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A cruelty and bad luck rarely seen before. By a scant millimeter, on one of the three championship points he had, Alejandro Davidovich missed out on his first ATP title in Washington. Fate once again proved to be very selfish with the Spaniard, who was once again on the brink of his first success. Also to blame was Alex de Miñaur who never gave up and ended up shattering the hopes of Davidovich who was 5-2 up in the third set. But this sport is capricious like that and continues to be harsh on the Spaniard, who falls in a final to remember with 7-5, 1-6, 7-6(4), after three hours and two minutes of play.

An opportunity of gold that Alejandro Davidovich had to turn his luck in ATP finals. Although on Monday he will debut at his best ATP ranking (19th), the Malaga native wanted to do it in a big way, that is, with a title under his belt. But in front of him was a player who was not going to make it easy: Alex de Miñaur. The Australian, with Spanish influence from his mother, holds on to the court like very few players, always squeezes out one more shot and if he sticks to his plan, he can drive more than one person crazy, especially players with a temperament like 'Foki'.

A first set worthy of a great final

But Davidovich, aware of what was at stake, stepped onto the court more focused than ever, and on his second break point and after a point where he dominated with his forehand against the Australian, he broke serve and sent a warning: he was going all in for his first ATP title.

However, De Miñaur accepted the challenge, a competitive machine, and after an even game, he returned the break: 2-2 in 30 minutes full of alternations, exchanges, and intensity, with a clear message; neither of them was going to give an inch. The games went by with maximum equality in all of them, as well as most of the points they were contesting. Both were very precise and it was the smallest details that tilted the balance to one side or the other.

But from equality, the dominance shifted to each one's service, while the tension increased as they reached the climax of the first set. Until at 5-5, in a seemingly calm game (30-0) the Australian stumbled with his serve and Davidovich capitalized on the opportunity to break and serve to claim a first set full of evenness. Although De Miñaur had a break point to take the first set to a tiebreak, Foki showed that today was a day he wasn't going to let the opportunity slip by. He gritted his teeth, saved the attempt, and closed out the first set by 7-5. Just one step away from touching his first trophy.

A forgettable second set

De Miñaur, aware that he now had to react if he wanted to fight for the title, came out with a different energy in the second set. While Davidovich, perhaps more confident after securing the first set, started off somewhat erratically in the second set, and this translated into 3-0 for 'Demon'. Despite winning the first set, his expression and attitude revealed a frustrated Davidovich facing the Australian's new game plan. He searched for solutions on his bench that he couldn't find on the court. Thus, De Miñaur secured the second break, and with it the second set by 6-1. Everything would be decided in a decisive third set.

All or nothing

He had to quickly forget that poor second set if he didn't want to spiral into a situation from which he couldn't recover. But no, the Davidovich from the first set reappeared, guiding the game with his forehand. Yet De Miñaur didn't yield an inch against the Malaga native's attacks.

But the Spanish player's determination outweighed the Australian's tactics and he broke in the fourth game to lead 3-1, inching step by step towards his coveted title. Everything fell back into place: the forehand flowed, the legs responded, and the volcanic character turned into cold determination. Meanwhile, De Miñaur's house of cards collapsed in the blink of an eye. Davidovich was aware of how close he was to glory and how easy it was to fall into the trap, so he honed his forehand even more to leave no room for a comeback.

A final worthy of two champions

He served to clinch his first trophy, and at that moment everything became an uphill battle. The Spaniard enjoyed a 30-0, just two points away. But at that moment, it all collapsed, everything went black and De Miñaur would serve to level the score at 5-5 after being 5-2 down. 'Foki' had one last chance if he didn't want to see everything crumble.

In that game, there was a true ode to tennis and it went through all the emotional states that one can experience in tennis. Fear also got the better of the Australian, resulting in two crucial double faults. While Davidovich had three match points and lost all three by a hair's breadth, especially the last one with a defensive lob by De Miñaur that just touched the line, cruelty struck Davidovich in a way never seen before and the final was tied 5-5 in the third set. The Spaniard recomposed himself and served to give himself another chance to break, but his strength started to falter and the tiebreak would seal the outcome.

The memory of those three match points and those two 30-0 scores weighed heavily on Davidovich's mind as he succumbed to Alex de Miñaur who, as usual, never gave up on any ball, and his perseverance paid off (5-7, 6-1, 7-6(3)). While the Spanish player takes a brutal blow to his self-esteem, much worse than what he experienced in Delray Beach in February when he had two match points, and how he will react to this moment is a complete unknown. But tennis is as beautiful and cruel as it can be, even if it mercilessly targets the poor Davidovich.

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, La crueldad y la mala suerte se ensañan con Davidovich

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