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Fritz advances to second ATP World Tour semi-final to face defending champ
#NextGenATP American Taylor Fritz had never made an ATP World Tour semi-final on clay before this week. In fact, he had only played three clay-court matches combined on the ATP World Tour and the ATP Challenger Tour prior to his Houston debut. But judging by his play Friday, you wouldn’t know it.
The 20-year-old battled back from a 4-2 deficit in the deciding set to oust 2015 winner Jack Sock 6-3, 3-6, 6-4 at the Fayez Sarofim & Co. U.S. Men’s Clay Court Championship and move into the semi-finals.
"I felt like it could really go either way. I just had to get back in it," Fritz said. "I just stayed with it and was able to come up [good] on the points that mattered."
The victory snaps a six-match ATP World Tour quarter-final losing streak for the American, who is now 7-1 in tour-level three-set matches this year. The World No. 72, who saved two match points in the first round against another compatriot, Tim Smyczek, avenged two previous five-set losses against the third-seeded Sock, triumphing in their first FedEx ATP Head2Head meeting on clay.
Fritz is now 8-3 in tour-level matches this season and 22-6 at all levels, as he continues pursuing his maiden ATP World Tour title, after breaking through as an 18-year-old to reach the Memphis final two years ago.
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"In Memphis I think I was just playing so well for that stretch. I was just playing so far above the level I actually was at. I was playing out of my mind," Fritz said. "Now I feel like I'm playing very within myself and playing to a level I know I can always be playing at... I'm a lot more ready. I'm a lot better of a player than I was."
Fritz will next play defending champion Steve Johnson, who, despite not finding a break, battled past recent Miami titlist and top seed John Isner 7-6(4), 4-6, 7-6(5). It is Johnson's second semi-final of the season (also Delray Beach), and as the sixth seed, he is the highest-ranked player remaining.
"Happy to get through," said Johnson, who is getting married on 21 April. "Just trying my best to enjoy the moment and give it my all. Win or lose, this is just a small thing on the radar for my life the next couple of weeks."
Johnson gains the lead in his FedEx ATP Head2Head series against Isner, 5-4, after his first win against his close friend on clay (1-2). The 28-year-old withstood a 28-ace barrage — Isner's 19th of the evening made him the fourth player in history to hit 10,000 aces — and ended his compatriot's eight-match tour-level winning streak to extend his own winning streak in Houston to seven.
The World No. 51 failed to convert on both break points he earned and won the same number of points as Isner (106), but lost just one point on his serve in both tie-breaks combined to move to 9-8 in 2018.
Fritz beat Johnson en route to his maiden ATP World Tour final two years ago in Memphis. The California native is the only player remaining who has gone the distance in each of his matches in Houston this week at the River Oaks Country Club.
Did You Know?
Fritz has now won both of his Top 20 matches this season, also beating Sam Querrey at the Delray Beach Open.

Taylor Fritz to jeden z najzdolniejszych tenisistów młodego amerykańskiego pokolenia. 20-latek z Rancho Santa Fe cały czas chce usprawniać swoją grę i w tym celu nawiązał współpracę z Paulem Annacone'em.
REKLAMA

ATP Houston: Ivo Karlović pisze historię. Steve Johnson zatrzymał Johna Isnera
Aktualnym szkoleniowcem Taylor Fritz jest mający już spore doświadczenie David Nainkin. Mimo tego Amerykanin uznał, że przyda się mu się dalsza pomoc - autorytet, który wprowadzi jego tenis na wyższy poziom. Takim człowiekiem jest właśnie były trener Pete'a Samprasa, Rogera Federera i Tima Henmana - Paul Annacone.
- Poczułem, że potrzebuję kogoś, kto będzie w stanie wznieść mój tenis na wyższy poziom. Kogoś, kogo będę szanował i o kim będę miał wysokie poważanie. Myślę, że Paul cieszy się ze współpracy ze mną. Sądzę, że dzięki jego pomocy już sporo się poprawiłem - powiedział Fritz.

Amerykanin rozpoczął współpracę z Annacone'em podczas turnieju BNP Paribas Open w Indian Wells. W Kalifornii doszedł do IV rundy, w której lepszy od niego okazał się Chorwat Borna Corić. Teraz zdolny reprezentant USA gra w Houston, gdzie po piątkowym zwycięstwie nad Jackiem Sockiem osiągnął drugi w karierze półfinał zawodów głównego cyklu. O miejsce w finale powalczy z broniącym tytułu rodakiem Steve'em Johnsonem.

REKLAMA
- On ma dopiero 20 lat i dysponuje wielką bronią, która może uczynić spore spustoszenie na korcie. Przed nim jeszcze dużo pracy, ale podoba mi się to, że już osiąga rezultaty. Taylor nie boi się ciężkich treningów. Lubi uczęszczać na siłownię i wykonywać wszystkie rzeczy, które powinien - przyznał Annacone.

American Taylor Fritz: 20 years old, No. 70 in the ATP Rankings
The 6'4” American's power game might be Taylor-made (pardon the pun) for hard courts, but Fritz has shown aptitude for the red dirt as well throughout his young career.

Last month in Houston, the 2015 Roland Garros boys' finalist (l. to Paul) made his second ATP World Tour semi-final at the Fayez Sarofim & Co. U.S. Men's Clay Court Championship, beating compatriots Ryan Harrison and Jack Sock along the way.

Last week week, he beat Sock again to reach his second ATP World Tour quarter-final of the season at the Open Parc Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes before falling to Madrid quarter-finalist Dusan Lajovic of Serbia. Fritz, like Tiafoe, has Roland Garros experience to remember. He fell to Croatian Borna Coric in the first round last year.

#NextGenATP American is in sixth place in the ATP Race To Milan
Taylor Fritz feels like this is his time of the ATP World Tour season. The California native is back in the U.S. and back on his favourite surface – hard courts.

The 20-year-old, who fell in five sets in the Wimbledon second round to fourth seed Alexander Zverev earlier this month, will look to reach his second BB&T Atlanta Open quarter-final this week (2016, l. to Isner).

“I feel like I was playing well at Wimbledon, and now I'm coming onto hard court, which is my best surface... I'm playing with a lot of confidence, and I'm feeling good about my game,” Fritz told ATPWorldTour.com.

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The #NextGenATP right-hander opens against Dell Technologies Hall of Fame Open finalist Ramkumar Ramanathan of India on Tuesday. But first, Fritz took time to talk with ATPWorldTour.com about his ATP Firsts, including the time he almost beat Roger Federer and when he met his future wife on the tennis court as a 12-year-old.

First moment I realised I loved tennis
I'm still waiting for that. (laughs)

First coach and most important lesson he/she taught me
My dad, and it was to have fun with tennis... when I was 2. Quit for a couple years, though, at like 5 to 6, wasn't really feeling it anymore, then got back into it... I got burnt out at 4. (laughs)

Watch: Fritz Introduces His Family


First pinch-me moment on the ATP World Tour
When I played Federer in 2016 [at Stuttgart], and I won the second set off him. That's when I was like, 'This is happening. What's going on here?' I ended up losing the match but just winning the second set on him, I was just like, 'This is insane. This is a dream.'

I had a chance to win that match. I think I had break points to serve for the match in the third, and what went through my head was like, 'Oh my God, I might actually beat Federer,' and that's what definitely lost it for me.

First thing I bought with prize money
I bought a house... I don't make that kind of money to buy a mansion in LA... Three-bedroom house.

First time I met my wife
This is funny. The first time I met her we were actually 12, and we were playing doubles. We played against her. She actually beat me in doubles in the Southern California Sectionals... She was playing with Brandon Holt, who plays at USC [University of Southern California] now. [Score was] 4 and 4, maybe? She was pretty good. We didn't really stand much of a chance.

That's when we met each other... then we actually really met I guess at Intersectionals in the 16 and unders. And that's when we kind of became a thing.

American is in sixth place in the ATP Race To Milan

#NextGenATP American Taylor Fritz exacted revenge against Aussie Thanasi Kokkinakis on Monday to start the third edition of the Abierto Mexicano de Tenis Mifel presentado por Cinemex in Los Cabos.

Fritz lost to Kokkinakis in last year's quarter-finals, and the Aussie went on to reach the final (l. to Sam Querrey). But this time, Fritz squeaked past the 22-year-old right-hander 7-6(6), 7-6(5) to advance and even their FedEx ATP Head2Head series (1-1).

“I played well. It was a lot like last year's match. It could have really gone either way... just a couple points here and there. I'm really happy to get through,” Fritz said.

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He is looking to reach his second ATP World Tour final (Memphis 2016) and solidify his place among the top seven in the ATP Race To Milan. The 20-year-old is currently in sixth place.

Read More: Fritz Shares His 'ATP Firsts'

The top seven will automatically qualify for the Next Gen ATP Finals, to be held 6-10 November in Milan, while the eighth spot will be reserved for the winner of an all-Italian qualifier tournament to be held just prior to the prestigious 21-and-under event. Players must be born in 1997 or later to be eligible for the Next Gen ATP Finals.

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Fritz and Kokkinakis will meet again this week. They're playing doubles together. “It's so funny because before the tournament started I knew I was going to play him. Before the draw even came out, I said to my coach, 'I bet I'm going to play Thanasi'... It happens sometimes,” Fritz said.

In singles, Fritz will next face Japan's Yoshihito Nishioka, who broke four times and beat Portugal's Gastao Elias 6-4, 6-3. Nishioka saved six of eight break points and advanced in 85 minutes.

#NextGenATP American Michael Mmoh picked up his fifth tour-level win of the year (5-3), beating compatriot Ernesto Escobedo 6-3, 4-6, 6-1. The 20-year-old Mmoh won 86 per cent of his first-serve points (38/44) and broke Escobedo twice in the final set. He will next meet Canadian Peter Polansky or Daniel Elahi Galan of Colombia.

Read More: 'Dangerous' Delpo Ready To Go In Mexico

Did You Know?
Fritz made the 2016 Memphis final in only his third tour-level event, falling to Japan's Kei Nishikori.

American leads #NextGenATP charge on Monday

Now that's how you kick off the 2018 US Open! Taylor Fritz mounted the biggest comeback of Day 1 at Flushing Meadows, rallying from two sets down for the first time in his career.
The #NextGenATP American had the Court 10 faithful on its feet as he closed out a gripping 4-6, 2-6, 6-4, 7-6(2), 6-2 victory over Mischa Zverev. Fritz fired 79 winners and sealed the win with his 18th ace, emphatically pointing to his left leg as he walked to the net to shake hands. A testament to all the hard work he has put in off the court, Fritz's fitness was key to his three-hour and 48-minute triumph.
"It felt great," said Fritz. "I wasn't feeling too great in the second set fitness-wise, but starting the third, I felt fresh, like I felt ready to go. I felt like I could do it, felt like I had the energy to do it. I took it one set at a time, told myself to focus on winning the third no matter what. Then told myself to focus on the fourth, no matter what. Now we're even, one more set. I felt great in the end, in the fifth set.
"I think I've been playing well. I think today wasn't my best. I'm going to have to play better if I want to have a deep run and beat the top players."

The 20-year-old California native is one year removed from scoring his first Grand Slam match win at the US Open. On Wednesday, he will look to go one step further when he battles Aussie wild card Jason Kubler. At No. 7 in the ATP Race To Milan, Fritz is looking to make a significant push towards qualifying for the Next Gen ATP Finals.
Earlier in the day, Kubler scored his first Grand Slam match win, ousting Roberto Bautista Agut 6-3, 6-3, 6-4. A two-time ATP Challenger Tour winner this year, the Brisbane native is competing in his first tournament as a Top 100 player after enjoying the biggest year-to-date rise. He opened his 2018 campaign outside the Top 300.

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In other action, 20-year-old Ugo Humbert enjoyed a victorious tour-level debut, defeating Collin Altamirano 6-3, 7-6(4), 6-3 on Court 8, prevailing after two hours and 15 minutes. Humbert, a qualifier, has rocketed up the ATP Rankings to a career-high No. 139 after reaching three straight ATP Challenger Tour finals, claiming his maiden title in Segovia, Spain. He awaits former champion Stan Wawrinka next.

Stefanos Tsitsipas became the fourth #NextGenATP winner of the day after ousting Spanish veteran Tommy Robredo 6-3, 7-6(1), 6-4. The Greek star saved six of seven break points and denied Robredo's opportunity to serve for the second set at 5-4. Finalist at the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 event in Toronto (l. to Nadal), the charismatic Tsitsipas enters the hard-court Grand Slam in strong form. He faces Winston-Salem Open champion Daniil Medvedev in the second round, after the Russian extended his win streak to seven straight with a 7-5, 6-4, 6-2 win over Evgeny Donskoy.
Andrey Rublev, Casper Ruud and Lloyd Harris were not as fortunate, with the trio all suffering first-round exits on a humid afternoon in New York. Rublev fell in four sets to Jeremy Chardy, while qualifiers Ruud and Harris were defeated in straights by Guido Pella and Gilles Simon, respectively.