Nitto ATP Finals News: Taylor Fritz drops Alex de Minaur in tight match

If you are the kind of tennis fan who loves long rallies, Taylor Swift versus Alex de Minaur in each player's final round-robin match at the 2024 Nitto ATP Finals was the match for you. Quite often, the two would battle to win 20-plus shot rallies. Each with balls that were well-placed, not easy to return, and yet Fritz and de Minaur would find a way to get the ball back.

De Minaur is basically the ATP equivalent of the WTA's Coco Gauff. Both have to be maddening to play as each moves around the court so extremely well that few balls are out of their reach. Each is more or less a human ball return even on powerful forehands that would get by almost any other player. De Minaur is not a perfect player, but his athleticism keeps him in matches that other players wouldn't be.

For much of the first two sets, Fritz was helping de Minaur control the match. He committed far more unforced errors than winners. Then the match changed completely. De Minaur had only lost one point on his serve in the second set until Fritz led 5-4, and the American was able to break the Australian to take the set and even the match at a set apiece. Fritz was then able to do the same early in the third set to take a 3-1 lead. Fritz then solidified the break by holding serve to move the set to 4-1.

Taylor Fritz has chance at Nitto ATP Finals semifinals after defeating Alex de Minaur

After each player held serve to make the set 5-3, Fritz needed to hold again to take the match 5-7 6-4 6-3. He did so and now has a chance for some real cash, but he needs a bit of help.

The American still has a very good chance to reach the semifinals at the ATP Finals. He simply needs Jannik Sinner to defeat Daniil Medvedev later on Thursday by any score. As well as Sinner is currently playing, and as he will be playing in front of his home-nation crowd, one would expect Sinner to defeat the Russian. Fritz will also get into the semifinals if Medvedev beats Sinner, but Sinner wins a set.

The head-to-head between Medvedev and Sinner is even at seven-all, but that is a bit misleading. The Russian won the first six meetings, while the Italian has won six of the last seven.

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