Fritz Shows Why It Was His Time To Reach First Major Semifinal At US Open

Taylor Fritz
Taylor Fritz (photo: Jürgen Hasenkopf)

NEW YORK/WASHINGTON, September 4, 2024 (by Michael Dickens)

Eleven years after they first met in the opening round of the US Open junior boys’ singles, American No. 1 Taylor Fritz renewed his rivalry with World No. 4 Alexander Zverev of Germany on Arthur Ashe Stadium Tuesday afternoon. This time, at stake was a berth in the US Open semifinals – not to mention plenty of prize money, ranking points and prestige.

Fritz, who was playing in back-to-back US Open quarterfinals after losing to eventual champion Novak Djokovic last year, had his sights set on advancing to the first Grand Slam semifinal of his career. He brought a 3-2 career head-to-head advantage against Zverev in their hard-court encounters. Most recently, Fritz rallied from two sets down to win their latest match, a fourth-round thriller at this year’s Wimbledon on grass earlier in the summer. However, he was 0-4 in career major quarterfinals.

Meanwhile, the 2020 US Open runner-up Zverev came into the quarterfinal leading the ATP Tour in wins (56) this year. After reaching the Australian Open semifinals and Roland-Garros final, he was bidding to become just the second German man in the Open Era to reach three major semifinals in a season after Boris Becker achieved the feat twice, in 1989 and 1991.

A win would reward Zverev with a ninth Grand Slam semifinal, tying him for third-most among active players and it would be his third US Open semifinal.

As it happened, before a full house that filled the largest stadium in pro tennis, it was the 12th-seeded Fritz’s time to bask in the glow of major victory. He defeated the No. 4 seed Zverev, 7-6 (2), 3-6, 6-4, 7-6 (3), in a baseline battle that stretched over three hours and 26 minutes and took 273 points to decide its outcome. It earned the 26-year-old American a berth in the final four of a major for the first time.

The largely pro-American Arthur Ashe Stadium crowd showered Fritz with applause after he secured match point of a quarterfinal contest he desperately wanted to win. The victory leveled his career head-to-head against Zverev at 5-all.

“I feel amazing,” Fritz said in his on-court interview. “I’ve had a lot of looks at quarterfinals over the past couple of years, and today just felt different. I really feel that it was my time to take a step further. It’s only fitting I’m doing it here on this court at the [US] Open in front of this crowd.”

Fritz faced just four break points, saving two. He converted two of 13 break points against Zverev – and it was enough. He also hit 12 aces, won 81 percent of his first-serve points and finished with 45 winners against 48 unforced errors. Zverev counted with 14 aces and 52 overall winners to 42 unforced errors. In the end, Fritz outpointed Zverev 139-134.

“I feel like my forehand and backhand have always been there,” Fritz told ESPN pundit Nick Kyrgios in his on-court interview. “I’ve been trying to come to the net a little bit and mix in some drop shots, trying to add stuff to my game to back up my serve even better.”

Off court, in his post-match news conference, Zverev said: “I did nothing to deserve to win the match today.”

On Friday, Fritz (16-3 at majors in 2024) will face Frances Tiafoe of the United States, who benefited from the retirement of No. 9 seed Grigor Dimitrov of Bulgaria after three hours and four minutes on Arthur Ashe Stadium late Tuesday night. The No. 20 seed was leading 6-3, 6-7 (5), 6-3, 4-1 when Dimitrov was forced to stop playing due to an apparent leg injury.

When Fritz, who is bidding to become the first American man to win the US Open since Andy Roddick in 2003, was asked by Kyrgios if he had a preference whom he would like to play in the semifinals, he responded: “I know the crowd would really like to see me and Frances, so we would get an American in the final. It could get pretty crazy in here. We’ll see what happens. Either way, I’ll be ready to go.”

After his match, Tiafoe said: “Friday’s going to be one hell of a day. … It’s the biggest match of me and Taylor’s life.”

Navarro shows cool, calm and reaches first major semifinal

Just two days after her fourth-round upset of defending champion Coco Gauff, No. 13 seed Emma Navarro gave another strong performance on Arthur Ashe Stadium Tuesday afternoon – one whose positive result will lift her into her Top-10 debut next week in what has turned into a breakout season.

The 23-year-old Navarro’s 6-2, 7-5 victory over former World No. 2 and current 26th-seed Paula Badosa of Spain rewarded her with a career-best major result and it ensured there would be an American competing in the US Open semifinals on Thursday.

The former NCAA singles champion from the University of Virginia came from 1-5 down in the second set and captured six straight games – winning 24 of the final 28 points – of the 72-minute quarterfinal match.

From first ball to last, won with a deftly-timed forehand drop-shot winner, the New York-born Navarro showed a sense of cool that served her well. She was calm and collected – certainly not nervous – and kept her head focused on the task of winning her 45th match of the season.

Navarro raced to a 3-0 lead from the start of the quarterfinal and broke Badosa a second time on her way to taking the 29-minute opening set. She took advantage of 16 unforced errors by the Spaniard. Then, it was Badosa who gained a double-break lead in the second set before Navarro reset and mounted her comeback.

“After I got her back to 5-2,” Navarro admitted during her in on-court interview, “I had a little bit of an inkling that it would be two sets. I just wanted to stay really tough. Even if I did lose the second set, I wanted to set the tone for the third set.”

Guess what? Navarro made sure there wouldn’t be a third set.

“I always say I can’t see the future, but maybe today I could a little bit,” added Navarro, who has scored a trio of Top-10 victories since March. “I just felt like maybe I could win this in two sets.

“It’s crazy! Moving onto the semifinals of the US Open, baby!”

Navarro, who finished with 12 winners to 15 unforced errors and outpointed Badosa 66-46, became the sixth player in the last 40 years to make the US Open semifinals without a single previous win in the US Open main draw, joining Steffi Graf (1985), Venus Williams (1997), Yanina Wickmayer (2009), Bianca Andreescu (2019) and Emma Raducanu (2021). It builds upon an impressive set of major finishes in 2024, in which Navarro reached the third round at the Australian Open, fourth round at Roland-Garros, quarterfinals at Wimbledon and, now, semifinals at Flushing Meadows.

Next, Navarro will face World No. 2 and second seed Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus, who dominated No. 7 seed Zheng Qinwen of China, 6-1, 6-2, in 73 minutes on Arthur Ashe Stadium Tuesday evening. She’s 1-1 against Sabalenka.

“I’ll be up for the challenge of either of them,” Navarro said before Sabalenka and Zheng took the court. “I think they’ll come aggressively at me, whichever one it is – but I’ll be ready.

“I’m at a point in my career where I’m not scared of any result or making a run in any tournament.”

Around the US Open

• Wimbledon champions Katerina Siniakova of the Czech Republic and Taylor Townsend advanced to US Open women’s doubles semifinals with their 6-2, 6-3 win over Demi Schuurs of the Netherlands and Luisa Stefani of Brazil on Louis Armstrong Stadium Tuesday afternoon.

The third-seeded Czech/American duo hit 35 winners and outpointed their opponents 74-56 in winning the 85-minute quarterfinal match.

Their next opponent will be unseeded Kristina Mladenovic of France and Zhang Shuai of China, who defeated No. 5 seeds Nicole Melichar-Martinez of the United States and Ellen Perez of Australia, 7-6 (2), 6-4, in an hour and 49 minutes on Louis Armstrong Stadium.

The other semifinal will pair No. 7 seeds Lyudmyla Kichenok of Ukraine and Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia against No. 10 seeds Hao-Ching Chan of Taiwan and Veronika Kudermetova of Russia.

• No. 10 seeds Kevin Krawietz and Tim Puetz of Germany advanced to the semifinals of the US Open men’s doubles with a 6-7 (11), 6-4, 6-1 win over No. 16 seeds Maximo Gonzalez and Andres Molteni of Argentina, in two hours and 23 minutes on the Grandstand. Next, they will play No. 4 seeds Marcelo Arevalo of El Salvador and Mate Pavic of Croatia, who beat No. 8 seeds Neal Skupski of Great Britain and Michael Venus of New Zealand, 7-6 (1), 6-1, in 73 minutes on the Grandstand.

Meanwhile, No. 1 seeds Marcel Granollers of Spain and Horacio Zeballos of Argentina were upset by Australian duo Max Purcell and Jordan Thompson, 7-6 (4), 6-4, in an hour and 41 minutes on Louis Armstrong Stadium. Purcell and Thompson will play No. 13 seeds Nathaniel Lammons and Jackson Withrow of the United States in the semifinal round.

• Americans Taylor Townsend and Donald Young advanced to the mixed doubles final and will face Italy’s Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori for the title.

Roger Federer is in the house

Five-time US Open champion (2004-08) Roger Federer was a guest of the US Open Wednesday evening.

Tuesday’s US Open results

Wednesday’s US Open order of play

By the numbers

• With her quarterfinal win, Emma Navarro becomes the sixth American woman to make her US Open semifinal debut after turning 23 years old. She joins: Julie Heldman, Nancy Richey, Billie Jean King, Zina Garrison and Lori McNeil.

• With both Taylor Fritz and Frances Tiafoe winning their quarterfinal matches, it marks the first all-American men’s singles Grand Slam semifinal since Andre Agassi defeated Robby Ginepri at the 2005 US Open.

“Quotable …”

“Yeah, for sure mentally. I didn’t start very well. I was a double break down in the first set. I tried to stay there mentally. This was for sure one of the keys to win this match. I served very well in the beginning of the match. There are some ups and downs. Best-of-5, it’s normal to have. Finishing my rhythm in the end of the match hopefully helps me for the next one. So, let’s see.”

— World No. 1 and top seed Jannik Sinner of Italy, during his on-court interview following his 7-6 (3), 7-6 (5), 6-1 fourth-round win over No. 14 seed Tommy Paul Monday night, after being asked by ESPN‘s Christopher Eubanks: “Is there anything today that you felt like you did really well physically or mentally?”

 

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