Taylor Fritz beats Alexander Zverev to reach his first Grand Slam semi-final | ATP Tour

US Open

Fritz beats Zverev to reach his first Grand Slam semi-final

He will face Tiafoe or Dimitrov for a place in the final

September 03, 2024

Taylor Fritz couldn’t have dreamed of a better stage to reach his first Grand Slam semi-final. In front of an Arthur Ashe Stadium that was prepared for the occasion, the Californian sealed his ticket to the penultimate round of the US Open, unleashing the delirium of a fan base that has been waiting for a local champion for more than two decades. In New York, on the world’s biggest court, one thing became clear: if the Big Apple exerts incomparable pressure, Taylor seems willing to take it on his shoulders.

The No. 12 in the PIF ATP Rankings survived a showdown of maturity, beating former runner-up Alexander Zverev 7-6(2), 3-6, 6-4, 7-6(3) after three hours and 27 minutes of effort. For the second consecutive Grand Slam, Fritz withstood a tough duel to defeat the German, confirming his landing in the ATP Tour’s top tier. His first victory over a Top 5 player at the US Open comes at an iconic moment: just before launching into the fight for the trophy.

“I feel amazing,” Fritz, who entered the match with a 0-5 record in Grand Slam quarterfinals, said during his on-court interview. “I’ve played several quarterfinals in the last two seasons, and today I felt something different. I felt like I had my chance to go one step further. It’s perfect to do it on this court, at the US Open, in front of this crowd.”

Fritz’s victory served to balance one of the most fervent rivalries on the ATP Tour. The American, who already defeated Zverev in five sets on the grass at Wimbledon last July, has managed to equal the Lexus ATP Head2Head record against the German for the first time (5-5). The American has strengthened his position on hard courts, where he already leads the Hamburg player 4-2.

In a tournament that is already dreaming of a historic edition, Fritz will play the semi-finals against the winner of the duel that will close the night session between the local Frances Tiafoe and the Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov. The penultimate round of the tournament will take place on Friday.

The New York feat also reinforces a priority goal for Fritz in his season, as he aims to qualify for the Nitto ATP Finals for the second time in his career. Entering the penultimate round of the US Open, the American climbed two spots to virtually No. 7 in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin. Regardless of what happens in Flushing Meadows, Fritz has ensured that he will leave the Big Apple with a direct entry spot to the season-ending event.

For his part, Zverev completed the most stable season of his Grand Slam career. The German, who accumulated a record of 18-4 in the majorsadded the quarter-finals at the US Open to the semi-finals reached at the Australian Open and the final signed on the clay at Roland Garros. His performance in New York gave Alexander the ticket to the Nitto ATP Finals for the seventh time in his career.

Did you know…?
Taylor Fritz will try to become the first local finalist at the US Open in men’s singles in the last 18 years. The Californian wants to take over from his compatriot Andy Roddick, who challenged for the title at Flushing Meadows in the 2006 season, losing in four sets to Swiss Roger Federer in the final.