World No. 7 Taylor Fritz reached the Dallas Open final after defeating former US Open champion Marin Cilic 7-6, 7-6 in their semifinal clash on center court Saturday night. The veteran Croatian pushed Fritz to the limit, forcing tiebreaks in both sets, but the American held firm and dug deep for the win.
While the 28-year-old rejoiced after his victory, there were moments when he looked fatigued and was likely dealing with injury concerns. Fritz addressed these issues in his postgame interview and reflected on the criticisms he has faced from fans who called him out for playing a tournament while dealing with an injury.
“I mean, I think there are times where it’s been completely valid. Looking back, I had an oblique injury right around this time last year. It happened after the Australian Open, and I should not have played… So yeah, there have been times, for sure, when I’ve made the wrong call with it. I think the main concern, obviously, for a long time has been my knee,” Fritz said.
“It’s not something that gets better with a lot of stentitis. You need to just work through it… So I trust my physio, and we think the knee can get better while I’m still playing tournaments if it’s something I can play through. I think I’m moving really well in the court this week. I don’t think it’s something that’s hindering me this week, so I feel good about that decision,” he added.
“And yeah, the other stuff I feel like I could play through, and it’s noted. I think I’d be annoyed, too, as a fan, just probably seeing someone who should probably just pull out. It seems like they’re always in here,” Fritz concluded.
Taylor Fritz Sets up an All-American Summit Clash Against Ben Shelton at the Dallas Open
Fritz is all set to face off against fellow American Ben Shelton in the final of the Dallas Open on Sunday night. Shelton reached the final after a thrilling come-from-behind win against Denis Shapovalov in three challenging sets.
Either American will be looking to win their first silverware of the season and earn some valuable points on the ATP circuit to stay well established in the top-10. Shelton and Fritz split the head-to-head series 1-1, with both their games coming from the hard surface at a Masters 1000 event.
Most recently, it was Shelton who defeated Fritz in their last encounter, the semifinal of the ATP Masters 1000 Canada event in 2025. Fritz will be aiming to avenge that loss tomorrow, while the hard-hitting lefty will be aiming to bury the demons of the Australian swing by clinching the title in Dallas.
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