Fritz Wins Battle Of ’18 Milan Qualifiers In Eastbourne

Taylor Fritz first made an ATP Tour final more than three years ago in Memphis, when he was just 18. On Friday, the American will have a chance to reach his second tour-level championship match.

In a battle of 2018 Next Gen ATP Finals qualifiers Thursday, Fritz defeated Poland’s Hubert Hurkacz 6-4, 7-6(5) to advance to the semi-finals of the Nature Valley International.

Fritz failed to serve out his second-round match against top seed Guido Pella Wednesday, later saying, “I just played a really poor game. I didn’t make any first serves. The only way to say it is I really choked that game.”

It was like deja vu against Hurkacz, as Fritz could not serve out the victory at 5-3 in the second set, the Pole earning his first break of the match. But Fritz remained calm and was able to close out his one-hour, 45-minute triumph in the tie-break.

Fritz will face a Brit in the last four, with third seed Kyle Edmund and in-form Daniel Evans to compete in the last singles match of the day. World No. 65 Evans recently won back-to-back ATP Challenger Tour titles on grass in Surbiton and Nottingham.

Fritz wasn’t the only American to move on, as former World No. 11 Sam Querrey ousted fifth seed Fernando Verdasco 7-6(4), 6-2 in one hour and 37 minutes.

This is Querrey’s first tournament since Houston in April due to an abdominal injury. He will try to reach his first ATP Tour final since the 2018 New York Open when he faces Italian Thomas Fabbiano, who upset Fever-Tree Championships finalist Gilles Simon 6-4, 6-3 to make his maiden tour-level semi-final.

Did You Know?
Fritz saved all seven break points he faced in the first set against Hurkacz, and he only landed 45 per cent of his first serves in the match.