Taylor Fritz has set up a National Bank Open semifinal with Ben Shelton in Toronto, with the two big-hitting American players set for a blockbuster clash.
Fritz came through a quarterfinal match with Andrey Rublev in straight sets to reach the last four of another Masters 1000 event.
Fritz has now completed an impressive career achievement with this latest win, and he might be forgiven for looking ahead towards lifting the crown.
The crowd have caught Fritz’s attention in this tournament, and clearly, it’s one that he looks forward to playing in every year.
Fritz has called for one of the rules to change in men’s tennis during this tournament and now something else has got a bee in his bonnet a little bit too.
Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty ImagesTaylor Fritz says there’s a problem that players are struggling with
Fritz isn’t alone, it would seem, when it comes to talking about the state of the balls that the players are using in Toronto.
The players are using different branded balls compared to what is used in operation at most events and naturally, Fritz has been forced to adapt his style.
Speaking in his press conference, Fritz has been sharing how the balls differ and how it’s forced him to play a little bit differently at this event.
He said: “Yeah, I feel like, I would say especially the last two matches, I just feel like any time I’ve been a bit under pressure I’ve been coming up with good serves, getting a lot of free points with it. I’ve been hitting all the spots pretty well. I think that’s just the big thing, it feels like it’s flowing.
“I would say tonight I felt the best about my game, just striking the ball well. I feel like all week it’s kind of been flying, tough to control, easy to miss the ball. It’s not just me, just watching any of the other matches, I can see people are hitting the ball a lot softer than they normally do, they’re playing a lot safer, people are making more mistakes. I think the conditions here, are just tough in general to play.
“Tonight for sure, it was the most I felt like I could control the ball, and also kind of go after it and feel like I was confident in where it was going. That’s obviously a good thing going into the semis.”
Shelton vs Fritz could be a fantastic match-up
The two American players will both see this as a golden chance to progress and ultimately win the title this week.
Remarkably, the two players have only played once on the ATP Tour, with Fritz emerging victorious in the Indian Wells round of 64 back in 2023.
American players aren’t winning anywhere near enough big titles when it comes to the men’s game and these two players carry the hopes of a proud nation.
Fritz will likely begin the game as a favourite but after a solid run at Wimbledon earlier this year, Shelton will fancy his chances of reaching a Masters 1000 final.