Top-seeded Taylor Fritz went 2 for 2 at the DC Open on Friday to advance to the semifinals, first defeating Andy Murray in a three-setter interrupted by climate protestors and then defeating Jordan Thompson three hours later on a different court.
Frances Tiafoe, the second-seeded player and fan favourite who was born and raised nearby in Maryland, couldn’t match Fritz’s feat, winning one match on Friday but losing his second. He was eliminated in the quarterfinals after losing to No. 9 seed Dan Evans 6-4, 7-5.
Rain forced the cancellation of many matches on Thursday, including Fritz vs. Murray, jumbling the schedule at the hard-court tuneup for the U.S. Open and forcing some players to play twice on Friday.
In order to defeat Murray, a 36-year-old British player who won three Grand Slam titles before undergoing two hip operations, Fritz, the highest-ranked American man at No. 9, saved all seven break points he faced in the third set and hit 17 aces with “awful” tennis balls.
That one, which Fritz described as being played at an “insanely high level,” lasted more than3 hours in the main stadium, where the temperature was in the mid-80s Fahrenheit (about 30 Celsius) and the humidity was 60%.
Fritz then raised his season win total to 41 only No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz and No. 3 Daniil Medvedev had more by defeating Thompson 6-3, 6-3 in 1 hour, 17 minutes at John Harris Court.