Ruthless Fritz challenges Djokovic in Shanghai

American Taylor Fritz soundly defeated Belgian David Goffin this Friday (6-3, 6-4) to earn a spot in the semifinals of the Shanghai Masters 1,000, where he will face Novak Djokovic.

Fritz was superior to his opponent from the first moment, breaking his first serve. And Goffin started weaker and less inspired than in his previous round match against the third-placed ATP ranking player, the German Alexander Zverev, where he had absolutely everything going for him.

The Belgian managed to stand up with some good points and managed to get a ‘break’ in the fifth game… to waste his immediately following turn on serve.

In the second set, a similar development of events: Fritz confirmed his status as the favorite by scoring a break in the third game. The American, who did not have a particularly attractive game, was confident and did not give his rival a chance to overcome, closing the victory in one hour and 22 minutes.

Until this match, Fritz and Goffin had only crossed paths twicewith a victory for each: the Belgian won in Cincinnati 2019 and the American, in Doha 2021.

In his success, Fritz awaits the winner of the duel between young Czech Jakub Mensik and Novak Djokovic in the semifinalswho is also the player who has won the trophy the most times (4) in Shanghai.

Fritz defeated Frenchman Terence Atmane in the second round (7-6 (4), 7-6 (5)) to do the same later against the Japanese Yosuke Watanuki (6-3, 6-4) and the Danish Holger Rune, against whom he destroyed (6-1, 6-2) in less than an hour.

In its part, Goffin became one of the surprises of the round of 16 by defeating (6-4, 7-5) the second seed for the tournament, Zverev, in a match where he showed that, at 33 years old and now ranked 66th in the ATP rankings, he is still the tennis player who was once the seventh best on the circuit.

Previously, the Belgian defeated Australian James Duckworth (6-4, 6-2), Italian Lorenzo Musetti (1-6, 7-6 (6), 6-2) and American Marcos Giron (1-6, 6). -3, 7-5).