Griekspoor Upsets Fritz To Reach Washington Final

Hard-hitting Dutchman Tallon Griekspoor rallied from a set down to upset top seed Taylor Fritz 3-6, 6-3, 6-2 Saturday night to claim his first Top 10 win and reach the final of the Mubadala Citi DC Open in Washington, D.C.

Griekspoor, who is chasing his third title of the season, has surged to a career-high 25 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings and plays Bulgaria’s Grigor Dimitrov or Great Britain’s Daniel Evans for the title on Sunday.

The 27-year-old, who is making his debut in the American capital, claimed one break in the second set and two breaks in the third against Fritz, who had won 80 of 82 service games coming into the match.

“The first Top 10 win was something I was really looking for. To beat Taylor playing at home is pretty special,” Griekspoor said. “It’s a pretty nice start to the American swing and I’m really looking forward to tomorrow.

“My serve is going really well this week; it’s getting some pace, whether it’s during the day or during the night. I’m moving great and the body is great, so there’s not much to complain about.”

Griekspoor’s weight of shot was telling as he clubbed 40 winners to Fritz’s 30, including 13 aces. He also won 47 points on the baseline compared to just 34 from the American.

The Dutchman finished strong, winning 20 of the final 27 points as he won five straight games from 1-2 in the decider.

Should he win the title, Griekspoor will move to World No. 21 on Monday, further building on his banner season, in which he has already won 27 matches, 10 more than he claimed during 2022, and titles in Pune and ‘s-Hertogenbosch.

“Winning two 250s, especially one at home, is something you dream of. Playing semis of a 500 at home in Rotterdam and now the final here, it’s all coming together this season. I’ve been working hard and it’s coming together.”