INDIAN WELLS, California, USA (AP) - Local Taylor Fritz defeated Serbian Miomir Kecmanovic 7-6 (5), 3-6, 6-1 on Friday to place himself in the Indian Wells Masters semifinals for the second time in five months.
Fritz, 24, is in the middle of the best streak of his fledgling career. And it all started in the Californian desert, in October.
This tournament was postponed the previous year from its usual date in March, due to the pandemic.
In 2021, Fritz arrived in Indian Wells in the 39th place in the ranking. He beat two top 10 tennis players, Matteo Berrettini and Alexander Zverev, before falling in the semifinals to Georgian Nikoloz Basilashvili.
Now, he is the twentieth in the ranks. He reached his best position in February, as 16th.
He also has a record of 24-8 since last year's tournament. He advanced to the quarterfinals in five competitions and reached the fourth round of a Grand Slam event for the first time in January, at the Australian Open.
“Things have started to come out,” he said. “I feel that my level as a player has increased by a ton.”
Fritz has reached many milestones in Indian Wells, where he is often enthusiastically supported by the public. He began attending the event as a child — he grew up near San Diego and his mother is Kathy May, former WTA Tour player.
“I didn't watch the games,” Fritz confessed.
Instead he was looking for the autographs of several players including Andy Murray and Bernard Tomic.
Fritz made his debut in the main draw of a Masters 1.000 tournament in Indian Wells. His father is Ty Fritz, a former ATP Tour pro, who leads the men's team at the nearby College of the Desert.
“I feel like this is my second home,” he said. “Only energy is completely different.”
The last American to reach consecutive semifinals at Indian Wells was Andy Roddick (2009-2010). And the last local tennis player to take the sceptre was Andre Agassi in 2001.
Fritz will face Russian Andrey Rublev (7th pre-qualified), who eliminated Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov, 7-5, 6-2.
In Saturday's other semifinal, Rafael Nadal clashes with fellow Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz, 18 years old. Nadal holds a record of 19-0 this year.
In the evening, Iga Swiatek recovered from a break in each set and defeated Simona Halep 7-6 (6), 6-4.
The Pole was saved from two set points in the tiebreaker of the first set, when she overcame disadvantages of 3-1 and 5-3. She won the last four points, in three of which there were errors by the Romanian.
Swiatek won a right-wing winner against Halep's second serve, who furiously smashed his racket and won a warning from the judge.
Halep broke his rival's serve twice in the second set and went up 4-2, but Swiatek took the last four games in a row.
Spain's Paula Badosa, defending champion, met Maria Sakkari later, in the other semifinal.
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