Denis Shapovalov Stuns Taylor Fritz to Reach Dallas Quarter-Final
Denis Shapovalov secured a spot in the ATP 500 Dallas Open quarter-finals with a thrilling 2-6, 6-3, 7-6 victory over World No. 4 Taylor Fritz. The Canadian needed two hours and three minutes to complete the upset, marking his second top-10 win in his last 12 attempts—his previous coming against Fritz in Vienna 2022.
Fritz Starts Strong, but Shapovalov Strikes Back
Despite a strong start from Fritz, Shapovalov turned the match around by improving his serve and baseline consistency, ultimately dominating the decisive tiebreak.
Fritz played a solid match, finishing with 25 winners and 24 unforced errors. He had control from the baseline, benefiting from Shapovalov’s 40 unforced errors, but the Canadian compensated with 40 service winners.
Shapovalov faced nine break points, saving seven, while converting one of two break opportunities—a crucial factor in his victory.
Set-by-Set Breakdown
First Set: Fritz in Command (6-2)
- Fast start for Fritz, breaking in the opening game after a Shapovalov forehand error.
- A double fault from Shapovalov in game three gave Fritz a 3-0 lead in just 10 minutes.
- The American dominated, securing comfortable holds and building a 5-1 advantage.
- Shapovalov saved three set points while serving at 1-5, gaining some confidence.
- Fritz faced a break point while serving for the set but sealed it with a smash winner, taking the opener in 31 minutes.
Second Set: Shapovalov Responds (6-3)
- Shapovalov turned up the aggression, breaking in game two with a forehand down-the-line winner for 2-0.
- He saved two break points in game three to maintain his lead.
- The Canadian dominated on serve, firing an ace in game seven before serving out the set at 5-3.
- A costly Fritz error leveled the match after 69 minutes.
Final Set: Tiebreak Brilliance (7-6(2))
- Both players held serve comfortably throughout the decider.
- Fritz led 30-0 on return in game 10, but Shapovalov won four straight points to hold for 5-5.
- In the tiebreak, Shapovalov raced to a 3-0 lead with a forehand crosscourt winner.
- Fritz trailed 4-0 and missed a backhand at 1-5, setting up five match points for Shapovalov.
- A routine forehand miss from Fritz on the second match point sealed the victory for Shapovalov.
A Much-Needed Win for Shapovalov
This statement win propels Shapovalov into the Dallas Open quarter-finals, where he will aim to continue his resurgence. Meanwhile, Fritz, despite playing well, suffers another frustrating loss to the Canadian.
