Taylor Fritz secured his place in the ATP final on grass in Halle by defeating French Open champion Alexander Zverev 6-7 (4/7), 6-4, 7-5.
This victory marks Fritz’s eighth consecutive win against Zverev, extending his lead in their head-to-head record to 10-5. In the final, Fritz will face Frances Tiafoe after Tiafoe defeated German wildcard Daniel Altmaier 6-1, 6-3.
Zverev faltered under pressure from the heat and had to stop at 4-3 (40/40) on Fritz’s serve, leading to a medical timeout. Despite this setback, Zverev managed to win the opening set in a tie-break.
Fritz capitalized on these breaks, breaking Zverev’s serve in both the deciding sets to clinch the match. The 28-year-old will compete in his third ATP final of the season and is still seeking his first title in 2026.
Tiafoe, who reached the semi-finals at Wimbledon last year, expressed satisfaction with his performance, stating it could have been a different match had he not maintained control after falling behind. AFP