Fritz claws past Zverev in Nitto ATP Finals SF thriller

Taylor Fritz became the first American to reach the Nitto ATP Finals title match since James Blake in 2006 on Saturday when he overcame World No. 2 Alexander Zverev 6-3, 3-6, 7-6(3) in a Turin thriller.

The fifth seed produced a high-class serving display, struck 32 winners and became the first player to break Zverev’s serve this week en route to his dramatic two-hour, 20-minute triumph. Fritz has now won his past four matches against Zverev, who made three critical errors in the third-set tie-break, and leads the German 7-5 in the pair’s Lexus ATP Head2Head series.

Into his fifth final of the season, the World No. 5 will aim to win the biggest title of his career when he takes on Italian Jannik Sinner or Norwegian Casper Ruud on Sunday evening.

"I felt like I played an almost perfect first set, but things can change so quickly when you're playing someone like Sascha," Fritz said. "I found myself in some tough spots in the third, when we both started to get on each other's serves even more.

"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."

TAYLOR'S ERA IN TURIN ?@Taylor_Fritz97 punches his ticket into the title decider in Turin, by edging past Zverev in a thrilling encounter 6-3 3-6 7-6(3)! #NittoATPFinals pic.twitter.com/ul5R3AGvsw

Fritz, a 2022 semi-finalist in Turin, is up one spot to No. 4 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings and will end the year in Top 5 for the first time. Fritz is the first American to finish the season inside the Top 5 since Blake in 2006 and will rise to a career-high No. 4 on Monday if Casper Ruud does not win the title in northern Italy.

Following his epic win against Zverev, Fritz raised his arms aloft, soaking in the cheers from the lively Inalpi Arena crowd before he embraced 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."

In an entertaining battle inside, Fritz was locked in from the early stages. The American became the first player to break Zverev’s serve this week when he swiped a forehand crosscourt to lead for 4-2 in the opener. The fifth seed won 95 per cent (18/19) of his first-serve points according to Infosys ATP Stats and sealed the first set on his second set point with a heavy forehand.

The start of the second set led to the first video review of the week in singles. At 1-0 in the second set, Zverev rushed forward and lunged to retrieve a ball with a backhand swipe. Chair umpire Adel Nour called not up, awarding the point to Fritz. However, upon Video Review requested by Zverev, Nour overturned his call and ordered that the point be replayed. Zverev then won the replayed point.

Fritz went on to hold but Zverev’s breakthrough came shortly after. The German started to hit his heavy backhand with greater consistency, winning the crosscourt exchanges off that wing to break Fritz’s serve. Zverev fended off the only break point he faced in the set at 4-2, closing out to force a decider.

Both players showed their spirt in the third set. Firstly, Fritz battled hard to earn a crucial hold at 2-2 in the third set, rallying from 0/40. Zverev then responded by saving three break points on serve at 3-4. Another mammoth game followed at 5-5, when Fritz battled through a 10-minute game to hold for 6-5, saving one break point with a smash.

With nothing to separate them, the match was decided by a decisive match tie-break. With the crowd on the edge of their seats, Fritz capitalised on three uncharacteristic errors from Zverev to earn a dramatic win on his first match point.

Photo Credit: Corinne Dubreuil/ATP Tour
US Open finalist Fritz, who has lifted ATP Tour titles in Delray Beach and Eastbourne this season, is now 52-22 on the year.

Two-time champion Zverev was competing in his 90th match of the season, the most of any player since David Ferrer played 91 times in 2012. The 27-year-old was trying to become the first player since Andy Murray (78) in 2016 to earn 70 match wins on the season.

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