By Richard Pagliaro | Saturday, March 19, 2022
Taylor Fritz broke in the final game of both sets stopping Andrey Rublev 6-4, 7-5 to become the first American man to reach the Indian Wells final in 10 years.
Photo credit: Getty
Taylor Fritz shrunk safe space in tennis paradise to continue his declarative dream run.
Ripping returns with menace, Fritz broke in the final game of both sets stopping Andrey Rublev 6-4, 7-5 to advance to the Indian Wells final.
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The 24-year-old Fritz snapped Rublev’s 13-match winning streak becoming the first American man since John Isner a decade ago to reach the BNP Paribas Open final.
Personal Best 💫@Taylor_Fritz97 reaches his first Masters 1000 level final with his defeat of Rublev in the desert! pic.twitter.com/0xzTD7X3qN
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) March 19, 2022
fritz came out firing his forehand, frequently beat Rublev to the punch and showed more competitive calm as the Russian smashed his racket off his knee and beat his right fist bloody punching his strings.
It all added up to Fritz’s third win in five meetings vs. Rublev as the 20th-seeded American improved to 4-0 against Top 10 opponents in Indian Wells.
“Today I definitely played my best match of the tournament so far,” Fritz told Andrew Krasny afterward. “I was so much more aggressive from the ground, so much more solid with my groundstrokes. Whereas other matches where I was maybe playing a bit safter I kind of tried to take it to him and impose my game today and I did it well so that helped a lot.
“It’s just unreal it doesn’t even seem real just try to take in the moment regroup and comeback for the finals it’s a dream come true.”
The southern California native, who grew up attending the tournament as a kid, will try to realize the dream in tomorrow’s final when he takes on either 21-time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal or Spanish phenom Carlos Alcaraz in the final. Fritz is bidding to become the first American man to hoist the Indian Wells title trophy since Andre Agassi in 2001.
Rublev carried an impressive 18-2 record into today’s semifinals with his last loss on Valentine’s Day, but Fritz gave him immediate grief, and a taste of the jolting returns to come, breaking in the Russian’s opening service game.
Fritz used the surprise serve-and-volley winner to back up the break and go up 3-0 after 12 minutes.
Throttling thunderous returns that sometimes left the powerful Russian lunging for replies, Fritz earned three break points in the sixth game. Rublev withstood the stress—and a pair of double faults—pumping a 123 mph ace down the T cap an 11-minute hold for 2-4.
⛔️ watch out on second serves…💥 @Taylor_Fritz97 #IndianWells pic.twitter.com/VQDA0JvgHq
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) March 19, 2022
Frustration fueled self-flagellation in Rublev. After missing backhand return, the Russian slammed his Head racquet off his knee five times in a row as he walked toward his court-side seat down 2-5.
Turning his attention toward beating the ball rather than his body, Rublev rolled a backhand winner down the line that helped him earn double break point. The Dubai champion cracked another return right off the baseline breaking back in the ninth game.
Serving to force the tiebreaker, Rublev repelled a pair of set points only to scatter a forehand to face a third set point.
First set Fritz 👊On his 3rd set point, @Taylor_Fritz97 takes it 7-5 over Rublev…#IndianWells pic.twitter.com/5ERKPpGaQL
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) March 19, 2022
Fritz had success whipping returns right down the middle denying the Russian access to angles and when Rublev flattened a forehand into net, Fritz snatched the opening set on the break. Rublev belted a ball high into the sky, punched his racket strings repeatedly drawing blood from his right knuckles and berated himself after a 22-unforced error opening set.
The server held strong throughout the second set until both men threatened late in the set.
The seventh-ranked Russian earned a pair of break points in the ninth game but narrowly missed a backhand pass down the line on the second break point.
Given a reprieve, Fritz rolled with it rapping a 98 mph forehand winner down the line and flaming his fifth ace for 5-4.
Not in your wildest dreams could you have predicted that ending…A crazy finish to Fritz vs Rublev at #IndianWells 🤪 pic.twitter.com/oCVdH4vFhl
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) March 19, 2022
Drawn into net where he’s vulnerable, Rublev soared for a high backhand volley then made a sensational stab volley to draw even at 30-all.
On the next point, Rublev wacked a forehand sitter long to face match point. Fritz slashed a backhand winner down the line to seal it in one hour, 50 minutes and charge into his first Masters 1000 final.
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