<figure id="attachment_3283005" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-3283005" style="width: 1600px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-3283005" src="https://media.freemalaysiatoday.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/13674471-Taylor-Fritz.webp" alt="" width="1600" height="1000" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-3283005" class="wp-caption-text">World number seven Taylor Fritz fired 22 aces and won all four break points he faced to conclude the match in two hours and 30 minutes. (EPA Images pic)</figcaption></figure>
FRISCO: Top seed Taylor Fritz captured the last five points in a deciding tie-breaker to defeat fellow American Sebastian Korda and advance to the ATP Dallas Open semi-finals on Friday.
World number seven Fritz fought back to defeat 53rd-ranked Korda 6-7 (2/7), 6-4, 7-6 (7/5) and book a place against Croatian Marin Cilic, the 2014 US Open winner, in a Saturday semi-final.
Fritz, now 4-1 in matches against Korda, fired 22 aces and won all four break points he faced to conclude matters in two hours and 30 minutes.
&#8220;Just (proud of) the way I handled those big moments in that match,&#8221; Fritz said. &#8220;He was constantly putting a lot of pressure on my serve. He was playing really well.&#8221;
Fritz also fought back after suffering a right elbow injury returning a Korda shot in the second set.
&#8220;I just instantly got this really sharp pain in my elbow, served one serve afterwards &#8212; luckily I made it &#8212; and knew right then I needed to get the physio there. It was pretty bad,&#8221; Fritz said.
&#8220;I had a couple games where I was really scared to snap my serve because I feel that pain I&#8217;m going to lose that point, but then I got some painkillers, I started to feel better and then I started to just trust it and it wasn&#8217;t even something I was thinking of most of the second and the full third (sets).&#8221;
Up 5-4 in the final tie-breaker, Korda sent two forehands long and Fritz blasted a service winner on the final point for the triumph.
Cilic advanced by beating British qualifier Jack Pinnington Jones 6-1, 6-4.
Fritz is 2-1 in ATP play against 37-year-old Cilic, winning on Monte Carlo clay in 2022 and at Indian Wells in 2017 but losing a 2021 final at St. Petersburg.
Canada&#8217;s Denis Shapovalov kept his title defense on track, beating third-seeded Alejandro Davidovich Fokina of Spain 5-7, 6-4, 6-3.
Shapovalov next faces second seeded American Ben Shelton, who rallied for a 5-7, 6-3, 6-4 victory over Serbian Miomir Kecmanovic.

MatchPoint Times

Top seed Fritz makes ATP Dallas semis with fantastic finish

Top seed Taylor Fritz captured the last five points in a deciding tie-breaker to defeat fellow American Sebastian Korda 6-7 (2/7), 6-4, 7-6 (7/5).

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