Fritz downs Zverev in Stuttgart to secure first title of year

AFP | Stuttgart

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Taylor Fritz defeated Alexander Zverev in straight sets in a rain-hit final in Stuttgart yesterday to win his first ATP title of the season.

The American eased to a 6-3, 7-6 (7/0) victory despite being held up by a lengthy rain delay early in the second set.

Fritz has now won his last five meetings with Zverev and is set to climb to fourth in the world rankings, a place behind the German.

“It was not so great a clay season, so to come here and start the grass season off perfectly, I am super happy to get the title and to do it here,” said Fritz, who did not lose a service game in the entire tournament.

Fritz lost in the first round of the French Open last month to Daniel Altmaier, ending a clay-court season in which he won just three matches in four tournaments.

Last year’s US Open runner-up bounced back, though, with his first trophy since winning in Eastbourne 12 months ago, also on grass.

Top seed Zverev is still waiting to win the first grasscourt title of his career and he has never even reached the quarter-finals of Wimbledon, which gets under way on June 30.

Fritz moved into a one-set lead courtesy of a break in the eighth game.

He missed the only break point of the second set but raced through the tie-break, winning the last 11 points of the match.

Fritz also beat Zverev in the Wimbledon fourth round last year, fighting back from two sets down.

His opponent was angry with the behaviour of people in Fritz’s player box on that occasion. The American’s girlfriend also posted videos on social media apparently referencing domestic abuse allegations against Zverev, which were later deleted.