Carlos Alcaraz explains what he changed on his serve during match with Taylor Fritz at the Six Kings Slam

Follow us on Google Discover

Carlos Alcaraz booked his place in the Six Kings Slam final after beating Taylor Fritz in straight sets.

In the semifinals of the exhibition event held in Saudi Arabia, the world number one put on a dominant display against the American, winning 6-4, 6-2.

Fritz had beaten Alcaraz for the first time in his career on day two of the Laver Cup in September, picking up two points for Team World with a statement victory.

Alcaraz has since earned revenge in both Tokyo and Riyadh, however, and said he made a change in his game to overcome the world number four at the Six Kings Slam.

Carlos Alcaraz reacts to his win against Taylor Fritz in Saudi Arabia

Speaking on Netflix after his triumph, he said: “I feel like the ball bounced a lot, so sometimes I just changed the speed of the serve.

“On the first serve, I was going for the kick instead of trying to hit it 200 or 220, so I just tried to use it and then tried to catch the forehand on as soon as I could.

“But in general, I tried not to think about it that much. I was just trying to feel good on court. I wasn’t worried about it, so I’m just happy that he was worried about it,” explained the 22-year-old, smiling.

Alcaraz attempted 13 drop shots against Fritz and made 12 of them, a tally he himself could not believe.

“Wow, I didn’t know that I had made that much,” he said upon hearing the statistic.

“After five, six, I just realised that I was winning all the drop shots that I was making, so it was kind of a strategy, but at the beginning, it was like, okay, I just feel it.”

Feliciano Lopez expected more from Taylor Fritz at the Six Kings Slam

Former Spanish player Feliciano Lopez expected Fritz to at least force a third set against Alcaraz.

Lopez said: “Carlos still surprises me, but honestly, I was expecting a more competitive match today.

“Considering that Taylor played another match yesterday, I thought that it would be helpful entering this match, but that wasn’t the case.”

Fritz defeated Alexander Zverev in the quarterfinals, besting the German in less than an hour.

“I think Carlos reacted very well to everything Taylor has tried,” said Lopez. “Honestly, I mean, I think he lacked something, you know, to really trouble Carlos today.”

Alcaraz will now face Jannik Sinner in the final of the Six Kings Slam.