Photo credit: Boss Open Facebook
Wearing Boss on his forehead, Taylor Fritz continues to play ruthless dictator on serve.
Fritz fired 10 aces fending off Felix Auger-Aliassime 6-4, 7-6(5) advancing to his first final of the year on Stuttgart’s grass at the Boss Open.
It is Fritz’s first final since the ATP Finals in Turin last November and it comes a few weeks after his Roland Garros opening-round loss to Daniel Altmaier.
Back on the grass, the 2024 Wimbledon quarterfinalist is finding his comfort zone again.
“I feel great,” Fritz said. “Clay-court season wasn’t the best, so I came here more motivated.
“I’m super happy to start grass season with a final.
It’s the 17th career final for Fritz, who will play for his fourth grass-court crown tomorrow.
The second-seeded Fritz will face home hero Alexander Zverev in tomorrow's final where rallies figure to be very brief. It's the fifth time in tournament history the top two seeds will face off in the final. The last time it happened was 13 years ago when tattooed Serbian star Janko Tipsarevic beat Juan Monaco 6-4, 5-7, 6-3 in the 2012 Stuttgart final.
In today's second semifinal, Zverev zapped 15 aces against one double fault in a 7-6(8), 7-6(1) win over Ben Shelton.
The top-seeded Zverev served 77 percent, won 50 of 58 first-serve points and did not face a break point in a two hour, one-minute win. It's Zverev's second win over Shelton on German soil in the last three months. In April, Zverev defeated Shelton 6-2, 6-4 in the Munich final on red clay.
For the second time in tournament history, and first time since 1985, all four top seeds reached the Stuttgart semifinals.
The Fritz serve has been a force through this week.
Today, Fritz served 65 percent, won 17 of 20 second-serve points and did not face a break point in a one hour, 28-minute triumph. Fritz, who has not dropped a set or serve in three wins this week, permitted only eight points total on serve today.
Neither man could dent the other’s serve until the final game of the first set.
On set point, Fritz chipped back a low return. Auger-Aliassime moved up to the ball, lined up his forehand, but spun it wide as Fritz snatched the 33-minute opening set on the strength of a single service break.
US Open finalist Fritz won 12 of 15 first-serve points in the set.
Though Auger-Aliassime entered the tiebreaker with a much better breaker record this season—12-7 compared to 4-10 for Fritz—the American drew a netted forehand to earn the mini break for 2-0.
The Canadian’s two-handed backhand came up second best today. Two backhand errors in a three-point span gave Fritz double match point at 6-4.
Auger-Aliassime saved the first match point with an ace.
On the second match point, the Canadian dragged a backhand wide as Fritz erupted with a primal scream of success.
No. 2 seed Fritz is 7-5 lifetime against No. 1 seed Zverev.
“I’m locked in and ready to go,” Fritz said of the final. “I try to ride that momentum all the way.”