LONDON (news agencies) — Taylor Fritz turned things around after dropping the opening two sets to defeat two-time Grand Slam finalist Alexander Zverev 4-6, 6-7 (4), 6-4, 7-6 (3), 6-3 on Monday and reach the Wimbledon quarterfinals.
The 13th-seeded Fritz, a 26-year-old from California, equaled his career-best showing at a major tournament.
“It was amazing to do that on Centre Court (at) Wimbledon, two sets down, in front of this crowd,” said Fritz, who lost to 22-time major champion Rafael Nadal in the quarterfinals at the All England Club two years ago. “The thing was, I felt like I was still playing really well for being down two sets. I was just thinking it would suck to be playing this well and just lose in three straight, so let’s take the third. … I had that belief.”
The 3 1/2-hour match, played with the main stadium’s retractable roof shut, was the 35th to go five sets at Wimbledon this year, tying the record for the most at any Slam event in the Open era, which began in 1968.
And Fritz’s comeback is the 11th from a two-set deficit in this edition of the grass-court tournament, more than in any other year.
The fourth-seeded Zverev was the runner-up to Carlos Alcaraz at the French Open last month — after blowing a 2-1 lead in sets. He also lost in the final of the 2020 U.S. Open against Dominic Thiem — after wasting a two-set lead and a match point.
The German entered Monday having won all nine sets he played at Wimbledon this year and having held in all 41 of his service games — not even facing a single break point since the first round.
But Fritz broke him one time each in the third and fifth sets.
Looking ahead to this matchup, Fritz’s analysis was rather succinct — and, it turned out, completely accurate.
“We’re playing on grass. It’s just going to come down to serve and return,” he predicted. “It’s going to be a match of very few chances, and whoever takes the chances, kind of comes up with something, plays better in those tight moments, it’s probably going to make the difference.”
Both thrived with big serves and short exchanges.
They combined for 124 winners (69 by Fritz) and 56 unforced errors (23 by Fritz).
Fritz hit 15 aces, with zero double-faults, and Zverev delivered 19 aces while competing with a gray sleeve on left knee, which he hurt during a fall in his previous match and said had a bone bruise.
“It was fairly obvious that I wasn’t 100% today, right? I wasn’t moving, really, the entire match. I wasn’t running for drop shots. If I was running for a drop shot, I was limping there more than running,” Zverev said. “Towards the end — I mean, I thought from the fourth and fifth set — I was really struggling to serve, as well, to jump off on my leg, to create some power.”
The key stat, really, was this: Fritz faced only two break points and saved one, while accumulating four and converting two.
When it ended, Fritz threw his head back and let out a yell, before meeting Zverev at the net for an extended chat.
“It felt like in the fifth set, he wasn’t moving as well,” Fritz said. “So I just wished him the best.”
Fritz joined countryman Tommy Paul in the final eight, giving the United States two men that deep in the tournament for the first time since 2000.
Fritz’s quarterfinal opponent will be No. 25 Lorenzo Musetti, while No. 9 Alex de Minaur plays seven-time Wimbledon champion Novak Djokovic or No. 15 Holger Rune, who were scheduled to meet in Monday night’s last match on Centre Court.
Musetti gave Italy three singles quarterfinalists at a major for the first time — he got there with No. 1 Jannik Sinner in the men’s bracket, and No. 7 Jasmine Paolini is still around in the women’s field — by beating Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard 4-6, 6-3, 6-3, 6-2, and de Minaur eliminated Arthur Fils 6-2, 6-4, 4-6, 6-3.
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