In a demanding semifinal played in extreme heat, Taylor Fritz beat Alexander Zverev 6-7 (4-7), 6-4, 7-5 to end his 10-match winning streak and reach the Halle Open final. Zverev, the world No. 3 and reigning French Open champion, received medical attention during the match. Fritz lost the opening-set tiebreak but recovered to take the second set, then came back from an early deficit in the decider to win 7-5.
The result extended Fritz’s winning head-to-head run against Zverev to seven consecutive matches. It followed Fritz’s quarterfinal victory over Ben Shelton, giving him back-to-back wins over top-five opponents on his way to the final. A week after reaching the Stuttgart final, Fritz now has consecutive grass-court final appearances.
Although Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner were absent from the Halle field, Fritz described the competition as demanding. “Even without Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, the competition remained intense,” he said in event coverage. His semifinal win over Zverev followed his victory against Shelton and secured him a fifth ATP 500 final.
Fritz will face fellow American Frances Tiafoe in the championship match. Tiafoe advanced by defeating Germany’s Daniel Altmaier in straight sets, setting up an all-American final at a tournament traditionally used to prepare for Wimbledon. Fritz has a chance to turn his run of consecutive grass-court finals into a title; Tiafoe will aim to claim the Halle championship after reaching the final without dropping a set in his semifinal.
