Fritz survives injury scare and match point to reach Washington semi-finals

Taylor Fritz, the No. 3 seed, saved a match point to beat Alex Michelsen 6-1, 3-6, 7-6 (6) on Friday and reach the semi-finals of the Mubadala DC Open for the first time in three years.

Michelsen handed back the match point with an unforced error, allowing Fritz to escape with his first career win over the American, having entered the match 0-2 in the head-to-head. Fritz, ranked No. 10, will face countryman Brandon Nakashima next in his fourth semi-final of the season.

The match carried a scare for Fritz in the third set, when he was seen by the tournament physio for his left knee mid-match, having reacted with visible discomfort immediately after finishing a point rather than waiting for the changeover. He continued and closed out the win in the deciding tiebreak.

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The result also has ranking implications: the win returns Fritz to his place as the top-ranked American man, with the world No. 10 projected to move to at least No. 9 in the PIF ATP Rankings on Monday, above Ben Shelton, who will slip to No. 10.

Fritz reached the semi-finals by also beating Poland’s Kamil Majchrzak 6-3, 6-4 and Belgium’s Zizou Bergs 6-3, 6-4 earlier in the week. Michelsen, ranked No. 40, had come through wins over Frenchman Adrian Mannarino (6-4, 7-6 (3)) and Mackenzie McDonald (6-4, 7-5) to reach the quarter-finals.