Fritz rallies past Vacherot’s bold challenge in Basel
Under the lights of the Swiss Indoors Basel, Taylor Fritz stared down Valentin Vacherot’s surging confidence from Shanghai, clawing back in a tense three-setter to maintain his hard-court dominance and edge closer to Turin.
In the swift indoor air of the Swiss Indoors Basel, Taylor Fritz absorbed Valentin Vacherot’s aggressive all-court game, the Monegasque’s recent Shanghai heroics fueling an early push that tested the top seed’s composure. Fritz, drawing on his experience in high-stakes matches, adjusted to the faster conditions by deepening his returns and varying his backhand slice, ultimately prevailing 4-6, 7-6(4), 7-5 in a first-round ATP 500 encounter that lasted two hours and 46 minutes. This victory extended his perfect 12-0 record in hard-court openers this season, a steady marker in his pursuit of a Nitto ATP Finals return, where he holds fifth in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin.
Vacherot‘s aggression disrupts early rhythm
Valentin Vacherot, who three weeks ago ranked No. 204 in the PIF ATP Rankings, carried the momentum from his stunning Shanghai run, where he qualified and upset Novak Djokovic in the semi-finals to claim the lowest-ranked ATP Masters 1000 title. Now inside the World’s Top 40, he unleashed crosscourt forehands and inside-out backhands to claim the first set, forcing Fritz into defensive lobs and exploiting any slowdown in the ball’s pace. The American felt the psychological edge of Vacherot’s fearlessness, as the crowd’s rising energy amplified the underdog’s threat in those opening exchanges.
Fritz later reflected on how the match unfolded.
“As we played the match, I started to see why those conditions [in Shanghai] suit him very well,” Fritz said of Vacherot. “When the balls got worn out and it slowed down a lot, that’s when he was controlling me the most and dominating me. In the last game, I was able to get the break on new balls. I was more in control of the match when it was playing a bit faster.”
Tiebreak precision fuels dramatic shift
After missing four set points on return at 5-3 in the second and dropping serve, Fritz reset with sharper angles on his inside-in forehands, racing to a 4-0 lead in the tiebreak through down-the-line winners and effective underspin to draw errors. This surge evened the match, highlighting his ability to thrive when the indoor hard courts quickened, restricting Vacherot’s preferred extended rallies. The pivot not only steadied Fritz but injected new tension into the decider, where he briefly led 4-2 before Vacherot’s one–two combinations clawed back parity.
Regrouping once more, Fritz broke on fresh balls in the final game, his serve finding the lines to seal the 7-5 win and blunt the Monegasque’s breakout bid. He now advances to face Ugo Humbert, the Frenchman who dispatched Sebastian Korda 6-3, 6-4 and enters with 14 wins in his last 16 indoor matches, including a Paris Masters final and Marseille title. Humbert’s baseline depth could probe Fritz’s adjustments, setting up a clash of forms under Basel’s unforgiving lights.
Rivals advance in tightening Finals chase
Felix Auger-Aliassime and Casper Ruud both secured key first-round wins to bolster their Nitto ATP Finals aspirations, with Auger-Aliassime edging countryman and friend Gabriel Diallo 6-2, 7-5 in a matchup laced with personal awkwardness. The Canadian, a two-time Basel champion from 2022-23 and now ninth in the Live Race To Turin, noted the emotional layer of facing Diallo, whose rising game made the start unusually nerve-wracking despite their off-court support. Auger-Aliassime’s steady forehand play prevailed in the second set, ramping pressure on eighth-placed Lorenzo Musetti, who competes in Vienna this week.
Ruud, eleventh in the race, overpowered lucky loser Quentin Halys 6-1, 7-6(3), his baseline consistency shining in the tiebreak to keep momentum from his Stockholm title. With tenth-placed Jack Draper sidelined by season-ending injury, these results narrow the field, as Ruud prepares for 40-year-old Swiss wild card Stan Wawrinka, who holds a prior edge from their 2022 Basel meeting. Auger-Aliassime next meets qualifier Marin Cilic, whose big serving will demand similar tactical poise.
Lucky loser Botic van de Zandschulp dominated Jiri Lehecka 6-2, 6-2, his net approaches and heavy groundstrokes overwhelming the Czech fresh from a Brussels final. Joao Fonseca advanced to the quarter-finals when fellow #NextGenATP star Jakub Mensik retired with a left foot injury, granting the young Brazilian a walkover that builds his confidence amid the tour’s late-season intensity. These outcomes in Basel underscore the blend of resilience and opportunity driving players toward Turin, where Fritz’s adaptability positions him to navigate the final hurdles with growing authority.
