Taylor Fritz extended his winning streak against Alexander Zverev to three after a straight sets win at the Laver Cup.
Continuing to be a thorn in the German’s side, Taylor Fritz broke in the final game of each set to take home victory for Team World.
Homeboy Alexander Zverev miserably maintained his habit of losing the crucial points and is still without a win at this year’s event in Berlin.
Fritz beat the 26-year-old for the third time this summer after a five-setter at Wimbledon, and a clinical four-sets in New York.
The two highest ranked players on their respective teams, Fritz is looking to make it three from three as he faces Carlos Alcaraz on the all-important deciding day.
Taylor Fritz praises one part of his improved game after Laver Cup win
Fritz overcame his Grand Slam quarter-final wobbles to progress to his first major final at the US Open.
A milestone achievement for the American number one, who as a result of his recent form moves up to seventh in the ATP rankings, he has brought his Zverev-slaying ability to the Laver Cup.
Quizzed about his visibly improved movement, Fritz said after the decisive victory: “It’s something that I’ve been working on for a really long time.
“I’m also trying to come forward, add a little bit of variety to my game and it’s helping a lot especially on these types of surfaces and conditions where it’s slow and it’s heavy and you can’t just blast the ball through everybody.”
A mature, measured display, Fritz’s progression past the quarter-final stage at the fifth time of asking has clearly allowed him to grow in confidence.
Exhibiting much of the traits of a top 10 player, his opponent Zverev unfortunately is not.
Alexander Zverev’s Laver Cup defeat to Taylor Fritz is a major red alert
Had Zverev not endured a summer of Grand Slam discontent, we wouldn’t be having this conversation.
However, with Fritz’s win matching his best career win in terms of ranking relatively easily, Zverev will be asking himself a lot of questions.
Zverev was dubbed a ‘leader’ of Team Europe, with his appearance at this year’s Laver Cup his fifth.
Yet, the world number two has not won a match. While he may be the go-to guy for morale, perhaps he can pick a top restaurant, maybe he even does a few card-tricks in the evening. He is still falling at the same hurdles he always has.
A French Open final that went begging against Alcaraz in June, followed by a missed opportunity against Fritz in New York – will Zverev ever be able to handle the pressure?
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