Taylor Fritz moved closer to a semi-final spot in the ATP Finals with a hard-fought 5-7, 6-4, 6-3 victory over Alex de Minaur on Thursday. However, the American’s progress now depends on the outcome of Friday’s match between Jannik Sinner and Daniil Medvedev. Fritz will only qualify for the semi-finals if Sinner wins at least one set against Medvedev. Should Medvedev triumph in straight sets, Fritz will be eliminated from the tournament.
In his win over De Minaur, Fritz rebounded from a set down, showcasing his resilience and strategic adjustments, particularly in the dominant second and third sets. The clash marked the first three-set match in Turin this year, with Fritz finishing the match having converted three of six break points.
“He was all over me (in the first set). What I did a great job of was in the second set, towards the end of the second set, I really started to find my serve,” Fritz said.
“I started serving much better and then that allowed me to just stay with it and create more pressure on his service games… It just gave me a little bit of comfort to just stay in the match and not be under so much pressure all the time,” Fritz added
For De Minaur, a debutant in the ATP Finals, the loss meant an early exit after three consecutive losses in the Ilie Nastase Group. Fritz, who has a solid 51-22 season record and titles in Delray Beach and Eastbourne, was impressive in his ability to turn the match around.
Fritz’s earlier loss to Sinner, 4-6, 4-6, had helped secure the Italian’s semi-final berth. Now, he hopes to earn a rematch against Sinner by qualifying and aiming to advance further in this prestigious season finale. With a potential semi-final on the line, Fritz will be eagerly awaiting the results of Friday’s match to see if his ATP Finals journey can continue.