Fritz Beats Murray, Thompson To Make Washington SFs; Evans Upsets Tiafoe

Top seed Taylor Fritz had a very busy Friday playing five sets of tough tennis in the heat to make the semifinals in Washington.

Fritz began the day with a grinding 3-set win over former finalist Andy Murray 6-7(2), 6-3, 6-4.

Fritz failed to close out the first then flopped in the breaker giving the 36-year-old a set lead. But the American world No. 9 rose up to the challenge in the second and third sets, breaking Murray at 4-all in the decider then closing it out.

Fritz smacked 17 aces and never dropped serve after the first set. Murray missed on no fewer than seven break chances in third set including blowing a 40-0 on Fritz’s serve when he tried to close out the match at 5-4.

Fritz’s day wasn’t done as he then took down Australian Jordan Thompson in the quarters 6-3, 6-3.

“I’ve put in a lot of work the last couple of weeks before coming here. I knew that this is one of the most physically demanding parts of the season, playing in the heat,” Fritz said to the ATP. “I definitely wasn’t training and preparing to play two matches in a day, especially one following a three-hour match.

“I came out tonight in the second match playing really well, being aggressive. I got early breaks in both sets, which was kind of my strategy, to kind of give it everything I had early, get up a break, and then I could coast a bit and focus on my serve games.”

Frances Tiafoe tried to keep pace but couldn’t. The Washington native took care of 18-year-old lefty Jerry Shang 6-2, 6-3 but then fell in the evening to Dan Evans in the quarterfinals 6-4, 7-5.

Tiafoe had break chances On Evans’s serve when the Brit tried to serve it out at 6-5 but came up empty.

Evans will now meet Grigor Dimitrov who should be rested after getting a walkover from Ugo Humber.

Fritz will meet Dutchman Tallon Griekspoor who finished off Gael Monfils and then in the quarters ousted JJ Wolf 7-5, 6-4.

Fritz, who has won his last seven matches, defeated Griekspoor in their lone clash in the 2020 Australian Open first round. Dimitrov leads Evans 3-2.

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