World number nine Taylor Fritz will meet countryman Frances Tiafoe in an all-American final on Sunday with the Terra Wortmann Open title on the line.
Fifth seed Taylor Fritz battled past Roland Garros reigning champion Alexander Zverev 6-7(4), 6-4, 7-5 on Halle's grass courts, earning a spot in the Terra Wortmann Open championship match on Saturday.
The former world No. 5 mastered his skills on the grass surface, fighting from a set down in the heat to surge victorious in two hours and 39 minutes.
Assessing his performance during the contest, the 28-year-old commented: "It was a really nerve-wracking match. It’s never easy to play when you get the feeling your opponent is struggling with something. It makes you really tense.
"It’s hard to find a rhythm because he plays very aggressively – obviously because he’s injured. It was an uncomfortable match for me. I’m glad I got through it."
The world No. 3 made a consistent run to the semifinals on home soil. However, the top seed struggled physically throughout the encounter.
Speaking about his physical issues, Zverev explained: "My back seized up, but that wasn’t the reason. I had extreme problems with my blood sugar. Unfortunately, the monitor showed a high blood sugar reading shortly before the match, even though I felt as though my blood sugar was extremely low."
"I injected far too much insulin and then, during the match, consumed just under 350 grams of sugar in the first few minutes. I simply felt awful.
"That was the reason why I wasn’t physically present in the second set. In the third set, too, it was difficult for me to be physically present at all," he added.
Unable to find the solutions to come out on top, Zverev completed a positive transition from clay to grass in his first appearance on Tour since winning Roland Garros, and with Wimbledon looming.
Meanwhile, the American player stepped on court to face the home favorite off the back of a confidence-boosting result.
Coming back to official competition from a knee injury, Fritz launched his grass court swing, making a deep run into the Stuttgart last weekend, falling to Ben Shelton.
A loss he avenged in Halle quarterfinals with grit and confidence, prevailing over his opponent after a gruelling 6-7(5), 7-6(8), 7-6(3) battle, setting a meeting with the Hamburg native.
The former world No. 4 excels on grass, a surface on which he has captured 5 of his 10 ATP titles to date.
On Sunday, he will compete in his fifth ATP 500 title match, bidding to extend his record on the surface by clinching his sixth crown, 11th overall, against countryman Frances Tiafoe.
The world no. 26 dispatched the man who shocked Daniil Medvedev in the last eight, in-form Daniel Altmaier, securing a 6–1, 6–3 win in 73 minutes on Saturday evening.
“I served really well today, got into the rallies well, and played very confidently overall," said Tiafoe. "It’s an honour to be in the final here.
"A place in the final on a Sunday is never a given. After yesterday’s long match, I’m glad it was a one-sided affair, and I didn’t have to play another long match.”
On Friday, the 2024 US Open semifinalist came back from a set down to defeat second seed Felix Auger-Aliassime on heristo-arena 3–6, 6–3, 7–6(12) in a two-hour and 32-minute enthralling match.
Fritz leads the unseeded American player 7-1 in their series, but they have never played one another on grass before.
For the first time in the tournament’s history, two American players will compete in a championship match that promises to deliver top tennis and excitement.