ATP Tour

Fritz survives 'sharp pain', Korda to reach Dallas semis

Taylor Fritz survived a razor-tight match and an injury scare Friday to beat Sebastian Korda 6-7(2), 6-4, 7-6(5) for a place in the Nexo Dallas Open semi-finals.

At 4-5, 30/15 first set, Fritz hit an awkward backhand flick that led to a sharp pain and a physio visit in the same game. After speaking throughout the week about injuries he has dealt with in the past year, it was an alarming sight.

“That was a weird one. He hit a really hard return and so I had to kind of hit a flick backhand and the way that I [hit it], just jammed my elbow I think. It was a hard-hit ball, so I just think the way I hit it behind me and extended my elbow, I instantly just felt this really sharp pain in my elbow,” Fritz said in his on-court interview. “I went over to the towel box, I was feeling it and I was like, ‘I’ll try to hit a serve’. Luckily I made it and it wasn’t a bad serve, because the ball came back and I couldn’t hit the next ball. It was such a sharp pain.”

Fritz had the injury worked on and was still feeling the pain, but not as intensely. He received multiple visits from the physio, which he explained helped.

“It felt like it was better and then I started to get some confidence in it. And then I served one that gave me the exact same pain and it’s such a sharp pain… like I can barely hold the racquet. No chance I can hit the next ball," Fritz said. "It was weird, but then I got the pain-killers and as the match went on, I stopped feeling it and I was able to trust it and have no pain the whole third, most of the second set.”

Even so, Fritz had to deal with Korda, who served at 5/4 in the final-set tie-break. But the former No. 15 player in the PIF ATP Rankings made back-to-back forehand errors, allowing Fritz to escape. The top seed hit 22 aces and saved all four break points he faced, according to Infosys ATP Stats.

Fritz will next face former World No. 3 Marin Cilic, who stormed past breakthrough Briton Jack Pinnington Jones 6-1, 6-4 in just 78 minutes.

The Croatian, a 21-time tour-level champion, is pursuing his first ATP Tour title since Hangzhou in 2024. Fritz leads their Lexus ATP Head2Head series 2-1, but they have not played since 2022.

In other quarter-final action, second seed Ben Shelton rallied past Miomir Kecmanovic 5-7, 6-3, 6-4 to advance to his 13th tour-level semi-final and first since winning the biggest title of his career at the ATP Masters 1000 event in Toronto in August.

Kecmanovic took early control of the pair’s first meeting, capitalising on Shelton’s 17 unforced errors while making just four of his own to claim the opening set. Shelton responded quickly in the second set, breaking for a 2-0 lead with a booming forehand winner. Once in front, he played with greater control and consistency and earned a decisive break at 2-2 in the third set when Kecmanovic hit a double fault.

"Tonight was more about shotmaking, one-two punches, putting returns in the court with quality and big moments. For me, that's what really got me over the line," Shelton said. "I thought he played extremely well. It was really tough to win the points from the baseline."

The American won 92 per cent (59/64) of points behind his first serve, including 100 per cent (19/19) in the second set, and wrapped the victory in one hour and 58 minutes. Up next for Shelton is defending champion Denis Shapovalov or Alejandro Davidovich Fokina.

Watch Shelton vs. Kecmanovic highlights: