US Open runner-up Fritz reaches another major showpiece at ATP Finals

U.S. Open runner-up Taylor Fritz reached another big final at the ATP Finals by beating Alexander Zverev 6-3, 3-6, 7-6 (3) on Saturday.

Fritz became the first American finalist at the elite eight-man event since James Blake lost the 2006 final to Roger Federer.

The last American to win the trophy was Pete Sampras in 1999.

In Sunday's final, Fritz will face top-ranked Jannik Sinner — the player he lost to in the U.S. Open final — or Casper Ruud, who were playing later.

Sinner also beat Fritz in straight sets in the group stage this week.

It was Fritz's fourth consecutive victory over Zverev, who replaced Carlos Alcaraz at No. 2 in the rankings this week.

Fritz, who is No. 5, also beat Zverev at Wimbledon and the U.S. Open, plus the Laver Cup.

It was a matchup of big servers between the 6-foot-5 (1.96-meter) Fritz and the 6-foot-6 (1.98-meter) Zverev, and when Fritz broke Zverev for 4-2 in the first set, it marked the first time that Zverev lost a service game in four matches in Turin.

Eventually, though, the match turned into a physical duel from the baseline. Fritz rallied from 0-40 and held his serve for 3-2 in the third after a nine-minute game full of long rallies – winning one such exchange that lasted 30 strokes.

Zverev, the finals champion in 2018 and 2021, entered the semifinals on an eight-match winning streak after taking the Paris Masters.

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AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis