STUTTGART, Germany — Taylor Fritz claimed his first title of the yr with a 6-3, 7-6 (0) win over prime seed Alexander Zverev within the Stuttgart Open closing Sunday, extending his profitable streak towards the German to 5 matches.
Fritz, who knocked out Zverev within the fourth spherical of Wimbledon final yr, received the opening set in half-hour with out going through a break level. The American second seed broke for a 5-3 lead after Zverev double-faulted twice and missed a volley on the internet.
The second set stayed on serve, with Zverev saving the one break level at 5-5 earlier than Fritz pulled away in a one-sided tiebreak to seal the victory. It was Fritz’s ninth profession title, fourth on grass, and improved his head-to-head report towards Zverev to 8-5.
The 28-year-old Zverev has but to win a title on grass, a floor he has lengthy struggled on. The three-time Grand Slam finalist has by no means progressed past the fourth spherical at Wimbledon.
World No. 7 Fritz, 27, is ready to rise to fourth within the rankings forward of Wimbledon, which runs from June 30 to July 13.