Fritz dispatches Brooksby 6-4, 6-3 to reach Japan Open final

Having just defeated Alexander Zverev at the Laver Cup in San Fransico to give Team World the win, Taylor Fritz hopped on a plane to Tokyo. The twenty-seven-year-old, understandably fatigued and jet-lagged, required three sets in two of his three matches at this outdoor hardcourt event before conquering his semifinal opponent in a highly competitive match.

Jenson Brooksby, three years younger, won his first career title this spring in Houston and has continued to impress as he improves his ranking. In 2022, the California native reached a career high of #33, but following an injury to and surgery on his left wrist, he saw it plummet to #466. Currently #86, he dispatched Ugo Humbert the 6th seed, and Holger Rune, the 3rd seed, in straights to reach the penultimate round at this ATP 500 event.

Fritz won the toss and elected to serve. While he raced to a 40-0 lead, he faced three deuce points before holding with a terrific inside-out forehand winner. Brooksby upped the ante with an ace and a love hold to level. Fritz replied with three winners, including two aces for a love hold, while Brooksby held at love for the second time with a brilliant backhand down the line.

Credit: Getty

Fritz hit three additional winners, including two more aces for 3-2, while Brooksby struggled, facing three deuce and a break point before leveling with two consecutive forehand winners.

Fritz opened the seventh with his fifth ace and held at love with his sixth. Brooksby, serving with new balls, opened with an ace out wide, and though he gifted a double fault, held to 30 to level.
Fritz opened the ninth with a fantastic cross-court backhand but labored as he faced three deuces and two break points before holding for 5-4 with a colossal serve up the tee. Brooksby serving to stay in the set opened with a mishit backhand, and although he struck two formidable forehand winners, he conceded the set with three consecutive groundstroke errors.

Brooksby left the court following the conclusion of the first set. Fritz served first in the second and with three massive serves including his eighth ace, held easily to 15 while Brooksby made 3/4 first serves and held at love with a winning serve and volley combination. Fritz opened the third with three consecutive winners, including two aces, and held to 15 with a blistering backhand crosscourt.
Brooksby opened and closed the fourth with backhand errors to dump serve while Fritz held at love to consolidate the break for 4-1. Brooksby admirably regrouped to hold for 2-4 despite facing a break point and deuce while Fritz raised his level, striking three winners, including two additional aces to lead 5-2. Brooksby, serving to stay in the match, maintained a positive attitude, and it served him as he held to 30 despite missing three consecutive first serves.

Fritz serving the match dropped the opening point when Brooksby pummeled a backhand down the line. The 2024 US Open finalist got back on track with three consecutive winners, including his thirteenth ace to secure victory. After a 90-minute slugfest in which Fritz’s serve consistently outpaced his opponent’s, he reached the final for the second time, having triumphed in 2022 in two tiebreak sets (d. Tiafoe).

In Ariake Coliseum, he will combat a familiar foe. Carlos Alcaraz, the world #1, defeated Casper Ruud in three tight sets to reach the final on his Tokyo debut. The twenty-two-year-old Spaniard and reigning French and US Open champion is seeking his eighth title of the season, while Fritz is looking for his third.

While Alcaraz leads the head-to-head 3-0, including a competitive four-set win at Wimbledon this past July, Fritz won their most recent match in straights at the Laver Cup - a team event- last weekend. Although this victory does not count in the overall ATP tour head-to-head, Fritz will showcase that confidence and competitive fire when they take the court with the trophy on the line.