Serve On SI

Taylor Fritz Comes Back to Beat Alex de Minaur in ATP Finals

Taylor Fritz defeated Alex de Minaur in three sets in the Group Stage of the ATP Finals.
Pat Benson|
Taylor Fritz defeated Alex de Minaur in three sets at the ATP Finals.
Taylor Fritz defeated Alex de Minaur in three sets at the ATP Finals. | Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

While Jannik Sinner still has a role to play in his match later today, the ATP Finals Group Stage meeting between Taylor Fritz and Alex de Minaur was basically win or go home.

Both players entered today's match with a record of 1-1 and dreams of advancing to the semifinals. In a hotly contested match, Fritz emerged victorious over de Minaur in three sets: 5-7, 6-4, 6-3.

At the outset, de Minaur took a narrow lead in the first set, which lasted 47 minutes. The seven-seed needed to win in straight sets if he were to advance to the semifinals.

It looked probable when de Minaur took a 4-3 lead in the second set, but eventually lost the set and his chances to advancing when the match went to a decider. With the oxygen let out of the room, Fritz closed strong to take the third set and match.

When asked if mental perseverance was the biggest factor in his win, Fritz said, "Yeah, I think a big thing was finding my serve at the end of the second. Just allowed me to not feel so much pressure every service game, you know. Because from the ground, he was all over me. He was playing great. It just felt like what he had to do to win a point was so much easier than what I had to do to win a point."

Fritz confided, "It was an incredibly frustrating match when I'm losing so many baseline rallies where I feel like I just can't do anything different. It was very frustrating, so it was very mental. I did have to mentally persevere a lot to get through it."

Fritz improves to 2-1 in the Group Stage, and de Minaur exits with a record of 1-2. Fritz needs Sinner to win at least one set against Daniil Medvedev later today in order to clinch a spot in the semifinals.

Tennis fans can follow Sports Illustrated's Serve on SI for all the most important news from the sport.

More Tennis News

Published
Pat Benson
PAT BENSON

Pat Benson covers professional tennis for Serve on Sports Illustrated, reporting on ATP and WTA events worldwide. From Challenger tournaments to Grand Slams, he brings readers in-depth coverage, daily recaps, and exclusive interviews with some of the biggest names in the sport. With a decade of experience in sports journalism, Pat is recognized as a trusted voice in tennis media. You can contact him at 1989patbenson@gmail.com.

Share on XFollow Pat_Benson_Jr
Home/News