Fifth seed Taylor Fritz halts world No. 2 Alexander Zverev’s perfect run to the Nitto ATP Finals semifinals with a 6-3, 3-6, 7-6(3) win in a two-hour, 22-minute dramatic encounter to reach his maiden title match at the year-end tournament on Saturday at the Inalpi Arena in Turin.
Assessing his performance, Fritz outlined: “I felt like I played an almost perfect first set, but things can change so quickly when you’re playing someone like Sascha. 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.”
The top American player took the initiative from the onset, playing with aggression, as he put to good use his powerful forehand while staying solid behind his booming serve.
Overall, the California native won 95 percent of the points on his first delivery to grab the first set 6-3 in just 27 minutes.
In the second set, Zverev, who did not drop a set all week before his semifinal clash, kicked up a level, bringing all his repertoire to the court to keep his chances alive, setting even the scoreboard at one set apiece.
A brilliant performance on serve paved the way for a pivotal break in the fourth game, charging to a ninth game that he wrapped up 6-3 in 42 minutes.
The second seed won 76 percent of the points on his first service and 60 percent on his second delivery.
World-class extensive baseline rallies set the tone of an edgy third set with a spot in the final at stake.
When two of the best serves on tour collide, one can expect fireworks in the form of aces from both sides of the net as fierce exchanges, combining depth and power, narrowing any margin for error.
A lengthy fifth game presented the first break-point opportunities in the decisive set at the hands of the German player who made Fritz work hard to recover from 0-40 down.
But to escape danger, the 27-year-old would have to resist four battles at deuce and eventually hold his serve to lead 3-2.
Then, it was the turn for Zverev to hold his ground at love and level up 3-3.
The Paris Masters reigning champion, chasing his 70th win of the season, fended off three break points to stay the course, using the serve and volley strategy before hitting a backhand down the line.
Again, the score (4-4) would reflect the parity between the competitors in a high-level encounter.
Under pressure, Fritz sealed with an ace the ninth game, leading 5-4, but to outclass his adversary on Italian soil, the US Open runner-up would have to find an extra gear in a final tiebreaker.
Despite pushing each other to the limit nonstop, neither player could break the other serve across the third set.
The tiebreaker saw the 8-time ATP titlist surging to take the triumph 7-3, defeating Zverev for the fourth consecutive time, who double-faulted, concluding his seventh appearance at the event.
Fritz awaits world No. 1 Jannik Sinner or sixth seed Casper Ruud in Sunday’s championship match.
He is the first American player since James Blake in 2026 to make it through the season finale championship match.