Taylor Fritz earned his first win over a Top 10 player on clay at the Monte Carlo Masters, where he overcame defending champion Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-2, 6-4 to reach his first semi-final in the Principality.
Second seed Tsitsipas came into the clash on a 12-match winning streak in Monte Carlo, having won the ATP Masters 1000 event in 2021 and 2022. However, he was unable to rediscover his best form against Fritz, who forced the Greek into 18 unforced errors with the weight and depth of his shots, allowing Fritz to claim victory after 70 minutes.
Tsitsipas failed in the quarter-finals of Monte Carlo (Photo: GI).
"I think my level today was very high. I played a very good match. Beating him here gives me a lot of confidence," Fritz said after the match. "It gives me the confidence that I can play well on clay."
"I seemed to play well on important points. I took my chances. I knew that if I played too safe, he would be able to turn and control the forehand. So even in the pressure points, I was bold enough to hit the ball."
Fritz hit 17 winners and dominated his second serve, winning 70% (14/20) of his second serve points to reach his third career ATP Masters 1000 semi-final.
Fritz defeated defending champion Tsitsipas (Photo: GI).
The American improved to 1-3 in the head-to-head series against Tsitsipas and will meet Andrey Rublev in the semi-finals after the fifth seed beat Jan-Lennard Struff in the quarter-finals.
"Rublev is a great player, a good friend and I'm very excited about the match," Fritz said when asked about Rublev. "He's a very tough opponent."
Fritz, who beat Stan Wawrinka and Jiri Lehecka earlier this week, is chasing a second ATP Masters 1000 crown after lifting the trophy in Indian Wells last year. The world No. 10 is 23-6 this year, having won the title in Delray Beach.
Tsitsipas is out of the running to win Monte Carlo for a third year in a row. The 24-year-old will drop two places to No. 5 in the ATP rankings next Monday after his fifth defeat of the season.
Medvedev stopped at the quarter-finals of Monte Carlo (Photo: GI).
Holger Rune may only be 19 years old, but he continues to build an impressive record against his Top 10 opponents.
The Dane beat Daniil Medvedev 6-3, 6-4 to reach his second career ATP Masters 1000 semi-final. Rune put in a calm and collected performance against the world No. 5, often moving Medvedev around the court with crisp baseline play on both wings.
Rune, who rose two places to No. 7 in the ATP live rankings as he reached the Monte Carlo semi-finals, said: "It's definitely not easy, it's always difficult to play against Medvedev. This is actually the first time I've played against him even though we've practiced together a lot. I have a lot of respect for what he's done. Last week it wasn't easy to stop him but I'm happy I managed to do it."
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