NEW YORK — Taylor Fritz is in his first Grand Slam semifinal after a four-set victory over Alexander Zverev at Arthur Ashe Stadium.

Fritz, ranked 12th, won two tiebreaks to beat the German 4th seed 7-6(2), 3-6, 6-4, 7-6(3) in just under three and a half hours. There was just five points separating the two players, with Fritz winning the baseline points (70-57) and Zverev holding the advantage at the net (29-16.)

Looking ahead to the quarterfinals, Fritz said the match would be decided by who served better, and he was the more efficient player in that regard. Although he landed fewer first serves than Zverev, he won more points behind those serves, and also had the edge over the German in terms of second serve points won.

“I watched the quarterfinals a lot, but today it just felt different,” Fritz said on court.

“It’s fitting that I do it here on this court during the Open, in front of the public.”

In one sequence during the final set, Zverev and Fritz combined for four first serves that landed at 125 mph; 134 mph; 127 mph; and 134 mph. Zverev was especially impressive behind his serve when under pressure, which hasn’t always been a strong point in his career. He saved a total of 11 break points out of 13, while Fritz faced just four.

Zverev, hoping to reach his second US Open final, took the first break of the entire match in the second set to take a 5-3 lead and serve out the next game.

The third set saw three breaks of serve, with Zverev coming back from 3-1 down to 4-4. But Fritz imitated what Zverev did in the second set by breaking at the perfect time, giving himself a 5-4 lead and closing out the set to take a 2-1 lead.

Taylor Fritz played another exciting match against Alexander Zverev. (Jamie Squire/Getty Images)

Fritz was half right when he said that serving would decide the match. In the tiebreaks, the main points he won came from being brave in the thick of it, by adding some extra speed or spin to his forehand to draw an error from Zverev’s backhand and set up an easy put-away shot. In contrast, Zverev, who has had a history of faltering behind his serve in key moments, most notably in the 2020 US Open final, made more errors from the ground, mostly forced by Fritz.

Zverev clearly knew it and he took a swipe at himself in his press conference. “I didn’t do anything to win the match today,” he said.

He had even harsher words for his own backhand.

“Terrible, terrible of me. My best shot, my most reliable shot, the shot that if you woke me up at 3 in the morning I wouldn’t miss, was absolutely not there today.

“I have no words for it, to be honest.”

Fritz will play Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov or compatriot Frances Tiafoe in the semifinals, in what promises to be a blockbuster match against Arthur Ashe. Fritz hopes to become the first American to win the US Open since Andy Roddick, who lifted the trophy in 2003.

‘Fritz may feel liberated in the semi-final’

Analysis by Charlie Eccleshare

Having lost all four of his previous quarter-finals in a major tournament, Taylor Fritz was under a lot of pressure heading into this match, especially at his home tournament, a Grand Slam.

In three of those four, Fritz played an all-time great. Rafael Nadal knocked him out at Wimbledon two years ago, and Novak Djokovic did it for him twice after that, most recently at the Australian Open in January.

He was the favorite to face Lorenzo Musetti at Wimbledon in July, but seemed hampered by the expectation that a place in the last four was on his plate. Musetti fumbled his first serve, losing his main route to easy points, and Fritz collapsed.

Fritz went into the match with Zverev tempering expectations, both about his chances of going far and about the feelings that come with playing in front of a home crowd in New York. He refused to give in to the temptation to look ahead to the rest of the tournament, even when Alcaraz and Djokovic left the court on consecutive nights.

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Fritz looked too far ahead to the 2022 tournament, saying he believed he could win it. He promptly lost in the first round to qualifier Brandon Holt.

On Tuesday, it was an advantage that Fritz’s opponent was not someone he feared. The American spoke openly before Wimbledon about how Djokovic’s absence from the draw would have been a big advantage for him, before Djokovic recovered from knee surgery to reach the final. There are some players you just can’t compete with, and the 24-time major champion is one of them for Fritz.

Zverev, however, is not one of those players. This victory makes it an even five wins apiece from their 10 meetings, including their previous match at Wimbledon two months ago.

Fritz showed in that match that he can outlast the durable German, and he did so again here. In the final phase, it was Zverev who was losing ground in the heat of the late afternoon, as his backhand, normally the best part of his game next to his serve, completely let him down.

Alexander Zverev’s serve has caused him problems in close matches before. Against Fritz, it was his backhand that faltered. (Jamie Squire/Getty Images)

“I can’t remember ever hitting such a bad backhand. I just don’t know,” Zverev said.

“I missed shots that were in the middle of the field, without pace, at the bottom of the net.”

Fritz, on the other hand, said he has been working hard to add more variety to his game, mentioning improved volleys and drop shots.

Now that Fritz has advanced beyond the quarterfinals of a Grand Slam for the first time, he may feel liberated in the semifinals. That would certainly help, given the potentially suffocating pressure of trying to become the first male winner of an American Grand Slam tournament in 21 years.

Either way, and whoever his opponent is, Friday’s match will be the hottest ticket in town.

(Top photo: Al Bello/Getty Images)