Taylor Fritz tops Alexander Zverev at US Open to reach 1st Slam semi

NEW YORK — As he watched one final errant forehand from his No. 4-ranked US Open opponent land extensive, Taylor Fritz dropped his neon-colored racket, clenched each fists and screamed, “Come on!”

Fritz gathered himself and his tools, walked to the web for a hug with Alexander Zverev, who twice was a Grand Slam runner-up, then stepped to the middle of Arthur Ashe Stadium, unfold his arms extensive and yelled once more, “Come on!”

After years of climbing the rankings, of changing into the highest American man in tennis, of coming shut to creating a breakthrough at considered one of his sport’s 4 most vital occasions, Fritz lastly got here by way of at dwelling, beating Zverev 7-6 (2), 3-6, 6-4, 7-6 (3) on Tuesday at Flushing Meadows to succeed in a significant semifinals for the primary time.

It was the Twelfth-seeded Fritz’s fourth win over an ATP top-10 participant in a significant this season, probably the most by an American man in a single yr since Andre Agassi received 5 in 1999. Earlier than this season, Fritz was 0-11 in majors in opposition to the ATP prime 10.

Fritz, a 26-year-old from California, entered the day with an 0-4 report in Slam quarterfinals. Now he has joined Frances Tiafoe (2022 US Open), Tommy Paul (2023 Australian Open) and Ben Shelton (2023 US Open) as the one lively American males with main semifinals appearances.

“I’ve had numerous appears at quarterfinals during the last couple of years, and as we speak simply felt totally different,” Fritz instructed the group that supported him all through the win. “I actually felt prefer it was my time to take it a step additional.”

He’ll meet both No. 9 Grigor Dimitrov of Bulgaria or the Twentieth-seeded Tiafoe on Friday. These two have been scheduled to play one another Tuesday night time.

“It is cool I am within the semis. However I very a lot have the mindset of ‘the job’s not executed,'” Fritz stated. “A query I acquired requested just about each time I misplaced in my quarterfinals was, ‘What’s it going to take to go additional?’ And the reply I gave was at all times: ‘Simply hold placing myself in these conditions, and I am going to grow to be extra snug in these conditions and get higher.’ That is undoubtedly what occurred now. The quarterfinals did not really feel like, I do not know, this large factor to me prefer it has been, I suppose, previously.”

A Fritz-Tiafoe semifinals — “That might be loopy,” Fritz stated — could be the primary between a pair of American males at any main since 2005, when Agassi defeated Robby Ginepri in New York.

No American man has received a Grand Slam singles trophy since Andy Roddick triumphed on the US Open in 2003.

The opposite males’s quarterfinals can be performed Wednesday: No. 1 Jannik Sinner vs. No. 5 Daniil Medvedev, and No. 10 Alex de Minaur vs. No. 25 Jack Draper.

Fritz used his standard mix of massive serving, profitable 20 of 21 factors when his first serves landed in through the fourth set, and massive forehands, however he additionally was efficient on the web — profitable 16 of 24 factors when he pushed ahead — and returned nicely sufficient to build up 10 break factors.

“There’s nonetheless work to be executed, however his transition recreation is getting higher. The actual fact he is seeing it repay, particularly right here on the US Open in some large factors … he is beginning to purchase into it and consider it,” stated Fritz’s coach, Michael Russell, particularly mentioning a volley that received a 24-stroke trade to make it 5-2 within the concluding tiebreaker. “It is good to see. That is a giant step that we have been actually emphasizing for him to win [at] these greater phases. You possibly can’t simply serve and be on the baseline.”

Regardless that Fritz solely transformed two of these break probabilities, it meant he consistently put strain on Zverev, a German who made it to the finals of the US Open in 2020 and the French Open this yr.

“My backhand, I do not bear in mind, since being on tour, hitting my backhand this badly. I simply do not. I imply, I used to be lacking photographs which have been in the course of the courtroom with no tempo, and [they landed in the] backside of the web. Horrible. Simply completely horrible by me,” Zverev stated, shutting his eyes and shaking his head.

“My forehand was OK, really. My serve was OK. However my most dependable shot, the shot that I am most recognized for, the shot that you simply usually wake me up at 3 a.m. and I’d not miss, was completely not there as we speak,” added Zverev, who additionally misplaced to Fritz at Wimbledon in July, “and I’ve no phrases for it, to be sincere.”

Zverev received 60% of his second serve factors over the primary two units (12-of-20), however solely 36% of these factors over the ultimate two units (8-of-22).

He described himself as “indignant.”

Fritz’s newest quarterfinals loss got here on the All England Membership in opposition to Lorenzo Musetti.

The opposite three? Two got here in opposition to 24-time Slam champion Novak Djokovic; the opposite in opposition to 22-time Slam champion Rafael Nadal.

One was eventually yr’s US Open in opposition to Djokovic, who went on to win the title. Djokovic was eradicated this time within the third spherical final week; Nadal sat out the match.

Russell stated these previous stumbles weren’t a subject of dialog earlier than this quarterfinals.

“We’d by no means discuss, ‘Hey, you have not been to the semifinals of a Slam earlier than,’ since you’re probably not breeding the positivity issue to it,” Russell stated. “It is extra about, ‘You’ve got been on this place earlier than and are available out right here and use your weapons that you’ve, and use the brand new weapons that we’re attempting to create, and simply go on the market and play your recreation, use the group, love the thrill and the precise competitors and battle,’ which he does, and simply go feed off it.”

ESPN Stats & Data and The Related Press contributed to this report.