Key events
Rune has beaten Djokovic a couple of times before and the big advantage he has over many others is self-belief; I’m told he genuinely believes himself to be the best player in the world. He also hits the ball flat and hard which prevents Djokovic from shaping his own shots as he’d like, even though you assume he’ll find a way.
Apparently there’s a very significant storm imminent, so there probably won’t be much more play on outside courts. But our roofs are extended so we’re good to go in our main matches, and on Centre, Djokovic is about to serve.
Krejcikova has looked the likelier, eventually breaking when Collins larrups a forehand long … and because they were playing at 5-6, it also wins her the set. She seemed to handle the business-end pressure the better.
It’s now 5-5 on No 1, Collins chastising herself as she nets to cede 0-15. I’d be staggered if either of these lifted the trophy on Saturday, just as I was when … Krejcikova won Roland Garros. It’s hard to look past Rybakina, I guess, but if Ostapenkz maintains her level, it’ll take something significant to stop here.
Back on No1 we’re still on serve, Collins leading Krejcikova 5-4 in the first.
Fritz meets Musetti next and I reckon he thinks that win has been coming. In 2022, he lost a five-setter to Nadal in the last eight, then in last year’s US open he did well against Djokovic for two sets but lost in three, and in Melbourne the same opponent saw him away at the same stage in four. Now, though, he faces an opponent he should beat in the quarters, which brings with it its own pressure, but he was so strong today, physically and mentally, that you’d back him to handle it.
Next on Centre: Holger Rune (15) v Novak Djokovic (2).
Fritz is struggling for words, but says that at 0-2 he was still playing well and he was thinking that it’d suck to be hitting that level and lose in three. So he focused on taking the third, knowing he’ was down only because of a few points here and there and taking it one game at a time worked out.
He thanks his team and asked what was said afterwards, he explains that he could see Zverev wasn’t moving as well so wanted to check his knee was alright.
Taylor Fritz (13) beats Alexander Zverev (4) 4-6 (4)6-7 6-4 7-6(3) 6-3
Zverev looks ready to yak – he’ll be starting to wonder if he’ll ever win one of these – and the two have a long chat at the net. Fritz, though, is buzzing – this is the biggest win of his career and the first time he’s beaten a top-four player in a slam – and it’s been a long time coming. Who saw it coming?
A booming forehand return down the line breaks a run of nine consecutive points on serve for Fritz, but at the end of another nasty rally, Zverev strays fractionally long, then Fritz carts a backhand winner cross-court to raise two match points! From two sets down, he’s almost there!
Down 0-15, Zverev smokes a forehand winner down the line, then another big forehand makes 30-15 and forehands followed by a backhand 40-15. But what is that?! Fritz flicks a backhand return off his foot from the deuce corner and it clips the near sideline to up the pressure … but Zverev closes out. The American will have to serve for it, and the tension must be mind-boggling … ort not! He opens the game with an ace…
Zverev holds for 2-4 in the fifth but he’s running out of chances to break and, at 0-0, he opts not to play a ball that he thinks is going out … but it hits the sidelines full in the face and an ace follows. Next, a service-winner, then an ace, and in five strokes Fritz takes himself to within a game of a last-eight match against Lorenzo Musetti. He leads 5-2 in the fifth and Zverev, sat in his seat, looks spooked; he’s not moving as well as usual because of the knee he injured against Norrie and he’s somehow got to break one of the best serves in the game … provided he can hold his own.
A dive across the face of the net touches back a flicked drop for 15-30, then a gigantic serve makes 30-all. Zverev then lands a terrific return on to the baseline only to go too hard at the backhand that’s behind it before netting a tame forehand, and Fritz consolidates for for 4-1 in the fifth! He’s playing like a man who expects to win, while Zverev has the air of one who fears he’s thrown it away.
On No 1, it’s 1-1 between Collins and Krejcikova; on Centre, Zverev has 0-30…
At 15-all, Fritz plays a decent squash-shot to get out of the corner and stay in the point… then Zverev makes a total mess of a forehand, shanking it to who knows where, then a quality backhand cross sets up the putaway and Fritz has two breaking opportunities! He’s the stronger man from back now, but at the end of a punishing rally his drop sits up just enough for Zverev to charge in and flip a winner down the line. So another sapping exchange ensues, the pair swapping weapons-grade forehands … until Zverev annihilates one just long, and Fritz has the break! Taylor Fritz leads 3-1 in the fifth, having trailed 2-0! But can he hold it down now the pressure is on?!
That Ostapenko slice…
And now Zverev holds to 15. Through most of the match, the assumption has been that the German – the better player in the better form – will find a way to win it at some point. But Fritz is hitting it hard, rushing through another hold for 2-1, and he looks the stronger man at the moment; Zverev might be struggling to push off on his bad-knee side.
Fritz is playing and moving very nicely now. He looked the vastly inferior player in the first two sets, out-served and out-hit from the back. But since then, he’s become looser and more aggressive, which is why he’s now one set away from the last eight; he holds to 15 to lead 1-0 in the fifth.
On No 1, Krejcikova and Collins are out; Collins, of course, is retiring at the end of the season.
I’m going to be 31 at the end of the year and one of my biggest goals outside of tennis is to have a family.
Being able to have a family is challenging as a woman when your career depends on your body. It would be especially difficult to think about playing tennis while pregnant.
Added to this, I deal with two chronic health conditions: rheumatoid arthritis, external and endometriosis, external, which can affect fertility and your ability to have children.
Some research estimates, external up to 30-50% of women with endometriosis experience infertility, and time isn’t on my side either.
I have a smaller window available to get pregnant and to make sure that hopefully happens. I’m also introverted and like to be at home mostly.
Fritz makes 6-1 with an overhead, before Zverev eases a backhand winner down the line then cleans up a big serve with an overhead. But when a return that appears to have hit the line is called out, the set looks over, so Zverev challenges .. and will be aggrieved to discover that the ball was good, the rally aborted unnecessarily. Another colossal serve follows, and Fritz has levelled the match at two sets apiece! Fritz 4-6 (4)6-7 6-4 7-6(3) Zverev
Have a look! Sent to the forehand corner, Fritz finds a glooooorious forehand down the line for 4-0 and he’s three points away from forcing an unlikely decider! A big serve reduces the arrears, but the American repsoods with one of his own for 5-1!
Immediate mini-break for Fritz who does well to get his return in then, at the net, covers the right side when Zverev goes for the pass; an ace cements the advantage, likewise a one-two punch of a serve out wide and a backhand into the opposite corner. Fritz leads 3-0!
Fritz opens with an ace, makes 40-15, and fires another right into the furthest corner. It’s another breaker, and the American will want to play a much better one that he did earlier in the match – he lost it 7-4 but it was over well before then sat 6-1.
More monstrous serving from Zverev, who holds to 15 and manages an ace followed by a service-winner to close out; Fritz will shortly serve to stat in the match.
Sold hold from Fritz to make 5-5 in the fourth, and it’s getting tense again. Zverev still looks the likelier, but we thought that last set.
Thanks Will and hi again everyone. What a performance from Ostapenkz! I was in the car on match point so only heard about her matchwinning backhand slice, but i must see it immediately. She meets Collins (11) or Krejcikova next, and if she plays like she did today I’m not sure either is equipped to live with her.
Fritz draws first blood in the next game as Zverev volleys a wicked shot into the net. Fritz then volleys to make it 0:30 after looping the ball over Zverev. We are back at 30:30, aided slight by Fritz falling. Fritz cannot return the next serve and Zverev goes onto hold.
Daniel Harris is back with you now.
Anything Zverev can do, Fritz can do equally as well. He pings his own serve down the middle and the German makes a vague attempt to return but knows he cannot. Fritz needlessly pings a forehand long from back of court to make it 15:30. Zverev has a sniff, although the odour is diminished by two rockets of aces as Fritz goes on to hold.
Zverev has rarely looked in trouble on serve and it continues with Fritz struggling to return the German’s best work, proven by the game-winning serve down the middle which is not returned.
Every lost point when serving seems a big deal in Fritz v Zverev. Fritz finds the net from back of court to make it 15:30 but a bad return levels things up. The German’s knee issues seem to be slowing him down. He can’t fancy this going to a fifth set, surely. Fritz holds on to make it 3-3 in the fourth.
De Minaur has looked in decent nick.
Back in the men’s singles, Zverev is looking superb on serve and makes light work of his latest efforts to make it 3-2 in the fourth.
Ostapenko beats Putintseva 6-2, 6-3
Ostapenko whacks a cracking serve that hits the line and Putintseva can only return into the net to make it 30:0. The Latvian is the next to find the net thanks to a cracking Putintseva return. Putintseva has the net to thank again as she clips the top of it and watches the ball dribble over to level the score. Ostapenko powers a looping ball over. Match point … is not taken and we go to deuce. Putintseva cannot return the next serve but we end up at deuce again. A roaring backhand earns advantage for Ostapenko once more and she eventually gets over the line with a beautiful backhand slice.
Putintseva does not want to gift the win to her opponent and reaches 40:15 but Ostapenko wraps a backhand return down the line to keep the pressure up. Putintseva rises to it, however, and takes the game. Ostapenka to serve for the match …
