Fritz Outduels Cilic in Dallas Tiebreak Tension
Taylor Fritz turned a barrage of big serves into victory, edging Marin Cilic in straight-set tiebreaks at the Nexo Dallas Open. His 22 aces and unflinching poise set the stage for a home final showdown, blending power with mental steel on indoor hard courts.
In the tight confines of the Nexo Dallas Open semifinals, Taylor Fritz faced a resurgent Marin Cilic, the 37-year-old Croatian firing flat serves that tested every inch of the American’s resolve. The top seed matched the intensity, his own deliveries landing with precision on the medium-paced indoor surface, leading to a no-break affair that stretched two hours and two minutes. Fritz emerged with a 7-6(5), 7-6(3) win, his 22 aces overpowering Cilic’s 16 and propelling him into Sunday’s final.
The match hinged on first-serve dominance, where Fritz converted 86 percent of his points on 48 of 56 attempts, facing zero break points while Cilic missed five chances. Fritz’s adjustments—higher tosses for cleaner contact and slice to the body—neutralized the veteran’s kick serves, keeping returns deep and forcing errors in rallies. As the crowd’s murmurs built with each hold, the psychological edge sharpened, with Fritz’s one–two pattern of serve and inside-out forehand dictating the tempo.
“Just really calm serving. I think that’s the biggest thing when I feel calm and relaxed, I serve well,” Fritz said in his on-court interview.
Serves Hold Firm Amid Pressure
Without a single break, every game became a fortress on these hard courts, where low bounces amplified the value of unreturnables and deep returns. Cilic pushed back with crosscourt backhands that pinned Fritz deep, but the American stepped inside the baseline on returns, turning potential breaks into defensive scrambles for the Croatian. Fritz’s four aces in the first-set tiebreak silenced doubts, shifting momentum as he absorbed the veteran’s power without flinching.
The surface’s true bounce rewarded aggressive play, yet Fritz varied his wide serves with heavy topspin to jam Cilic’s forehand, limiting the 37-year-old’s explosiveness. Crowd energy pulsed with the holds, fueling Fritz’s focus after a 2025 season of highs and lows, including that US Open final run. Cilic’s guile, honed from years on tour, nearly cracked the armor, but Fritz’s composure turned fine margins into a 3-1 head-to-head lead.
Tiebreaks Reveal Mental Edge
In the second-set breaker, Fritz’s down-the-line winners after low-slice second serves drew errors from a probing Cilic, who clawed back with sharp returns but couldn’t convert. The American’s readiness shone through, his mind locked on the moment amid the season’s early grind. ATP Stats captured the efficiency: no break points faced, a clinic in holding under fire.
“That’s something every tennis player experiences when you’re the one in the opponent’s service games. You have some chances, you’re cruising on your service games and all of a sudden they get one break point, you’ll probably win it. You’ll go to the tie-break, all of a sudden some returns came back and I just told myself to be really ready in that tie-break,” Fritz reflected.
This semifinal push marks Fritz’s first final on home soil since the US Open, setting up a clash with countryman Ben Shelton or defending champion Denis Shapovalov. For Cilic, the run lifts him 18 spots to No. 43 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings, his deepest above ATP 250 level since Queen’s Club in 2018. Fritz’s arc points to a player honing his edge, ready to claim the title and build momentum through 2026.
