Los Angeles , 14 February (H.S.): Top-seeded American Taylor Fritz delivered a commanding performance at the ATP Dallas Open 2026, advancing to the semifinals after defeating compatriot Sebastian Korda in a thrilling quarterfinal clash on Friday.
Fritz, ranked seventh in the world, prevailed 6-7(2/7), 6-4, 7-6(7/5) in a grueling encounter that lasted two hours and 30 minutes. He clinched the decisive third-set tiebreaker by winning the final five points consecutively, overcoming Korda's 5-2 lead and a championship point at 5-4.
Fritz fired 22 aces and saved all four break points he faced, improving his head-to-head record against Korda to 4-1. An injury scare struck in the second set when he felt sharp pain in his right elbow during a backhand return, but physio treatment and painkillers enabled his comeback.
Reflecting on the victory, Fritz expressed pride in handling pressure moments: He kept constant pressure on my serve and played brilliantly, but whenever I was under duress on break points or in the tiebreaker, I produced my best tennis.
In the tiebreaker, Korda's two forehand errors handed Fritz the edge, sealed by a powerful service winner.
Fritz next faces Croatia's 2014 US Open champion Marin Cilic, who dispatched Britain's qualifier Jack Pinnington Jones 6-1, 6-4. Fritz holds a 2-1 edge in their ATP meetings. The other semifinal pits defending champion Canada's Denis Shapovalov against Spain's third seed Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, while second-seeded American Ben Shelton meets Serbia's Miomir Kecmanovic.
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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar
