Taylor Fritz
After defeating World No. 2 Alexander Zverev 6-3, 3-6, 7-6(3) in a thrilling match in Turin on Saturday, Taylor Fritz became the first American to advance to the Nitto ATP Finals title match since James Blake in 2006.
On his way to his thrilling two-hour, 20-minute victory, the fifth seed displayed excellent serving, hit 32 winners, and became the first player to break Zverev’s serve this week. Fritz now leads Zverev 7-5 in their Lexus ATP Head2Head series and has won his last four meetings with the German.
The World No. 5 will play either Norwegian Casper Ruud or Italian Jannik Sinner on Sunday night in his fifth final of the season with the goal of winning the biggest title of his career.
I felt like I played an almost perfect first set, but things can change so quickly when you’re playing someone like Sascha,
Fritz stated.
In the third, when we both began to get on each other’s serves even more, I found myself in some difficult situations.
When I was trying to be aggressive, I didn’t feel like it was doing much. I just told myself at the end that I had to fight and be solid and tried to take care of my serve the best I could and give him absolutely nothing from the back.
Fritz, a 2022 semifinalist in Turin, will finish the year in the Top 5 for the first time after moving up one spot to No. 4 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings. If Casper Ruud doesn’t win the title in northern Italy, Fritz will move up to a career-high No. 4 on Monday, becoming the first American to finish the season inside the Top 5 since Blake in 2006.
Fritz lifted his arms in the air after his thrilling victory over Zverev, taking in the applause from the boisterous Inalpi Arena audience, and then he hugged a deflated Zverev at the net.
I trust my game and I trust my level,
Fritz said.
I don’t feel anywhere near as uncomfortable in these situations anymore because I’ve been putting myself in these situations against the top guys at big events a lot lately… I’m really confident in my game.
Fritz was locked in from the beginning in a fun battle inside. In the opening set, the American swung a forehand crosscourt to take a 4-2 lead, becoming the first player this week to break Zverev’s serve.
According to Infosys ATP Stats, the fifth seed won 95% (18/19) of his first-serve points and used a heavy forehand to seal the first serve on his second set point.
The first singles video review of the week began as the second set got underway. Zverev charged forward and lunged to retrieve a ball with a backhand swipe when the score was 1-0 in the second set.
Fritz received the point after chair umpire Adel Nour called not up. However, Nour reversed his call and mandated that the point be replayed after Zverev requested a Video Review. The replayed point was then won by Zverev.
The first singles video review of the week began as the second set got underway. Zverev charged forward and lunged to retrieve a ball with a backhand swipe when the score was 1-0 in the second set. Fritz received the point after chair umpire Adel Nour called not up. However, Nour reversed his call and mandated that the point be replayed after Zverev requested a Video Review. The replayed point was then won by Zverev.
In the third set, both players displayed their spirit. First, Fritz came back from 0/40 to earn a vital hold at 2-2 in the third set after a fierce battle. Then, at 3-4, Zverev answered by saving three break points on serve. Fritz fought through a 10-minute game to hold for 6-5, saving one break point with a smash, and then another titanic match ensued at 5-5.
The match was coming down to a decisive match tie-break because there was nothing standing between them. Fritz took advantage of three uncharacteristic mistakes made by Zverev to earn a thrilling victory on his first match point while the crowd was on the edge of their seats.
Fritz is currently 52-22 on the year and has won ATP Tour titles in Eastbourne and Delray Beach this season.
Zverev, a two-time champion, was playing in his 90th game of the season, which is the most since David Ferrer’s 91 games in 2012. The 27-year-old was attempting to become the first player to win 70 games during the season since Andy Murray (78) in 2016.
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