- For the first time in his career, Taylor Fritz (USA/ATP 12) is in the semifinals of a Grand Slam tournament at the US Open.
- In the quarterfinals, the 26-year-old defeated the German Alexander Zverev (ATP 4) 7:6 (7:2), 3:6, 6:4, 7:6 (7:3).
- The opponent in the semifinals will be either Grigor Dimitrov (BUL/ATP 9) or compatriot Frances Tiafoe (ATP 20).
The first semifinalist in the final Grand Slam tournament of the year is Taylor Fritz. After numerous unsuccessful attempts, the Californian managed to make it to a major semifinal for the first time. On the way there, he defeated Alexander Zverev in the quarterfinals in just under three and a half hours with 7:6 (7:2), 3:6, 6:4, 7:6 (7:3).
You can rely on the serve
In the end, Fritz was the deserved winner. The 26-year-old was more determined, more willing to take risks and served excellently for much of the match. When the first serve came, the American won the point 81 percent of the time.
Fritz was only inefficient when it came to break chances: he was only able to use 2 of his 13 opportunities. It should be noted that Zverev sometimes served excellently in tricky situations. And the German occasionally managed to score spectacular points, as this example shows.
In the tiebreak of the 4th set, Fritz managed a mini-break early on. He later got a second one and then wobbled only briefly when he unnecessarily put a backhand out. It was ultimately Zverev’s 42nd unforced error that put an end to this match.
Will there be an American duel?
Grigor Dimitrov (BUL/ATP 9) or Frances Tiafoe (ATP 20) – which opponent does Fritz want for his very first Grand Slam semi-final? This question was asked to the world number 12 in an on-court interview by Nick Kyrgios, who works for an American TV station in New York. “When I look at the crowd, I assume that they would like Frances Tiafoe. Then an American would definitely be in the final,” laughed Fritz – the reaction from the audience was not long in coming.
