Fritz digs deep to outlast Diallo in Tokyo thriller

In the sticky embrace of Tokyo‘s evening air, Taylor Fritz navigated a gauntlet of booming serves and blistering winners to claim a hard-fought opening-round victory at the Kinoshita Group Japan Open Tennis Championships. The second seed rallied from a set down against Gabriel Diallo, prevailing 4-6, 6-3, 7-6(3) in a contest that stretched two hours and nine minutes. Fresh from his Laver Cup triumphs over Carlos Alcaraz and Alexander Zverev, Fritz absorbed 40 winners to his 24, yet turned defensive pressure into a 3-0 head-to-head edge through sheer baseline tenacity.

Shadows linger from team triumph

Diallo’s towering frame loomed large early, his crosscourt serves pulling Fritz wide and forcing hurried inside-out forehands that skimmed the lines but rarely landed clean. The American, pinned back on these medium-paced hard courts, leaned into prolonged rallies, using underspin backhands to low-slice the ball and disrupt his opponent’s high-bouncing second serves. As the first set slipped away, Fritz’s footwork sharpened, sliding into returns that cramped Diallo’s swing and sparked a one–two rhythm of deep groundstrokes followed by net poaches.

The shift came in the second set, where Fritz‘s energy reignited amid the crowd’s rising hum, turning potential break points into holds with down-the-line passing shots that echoed off the back wall. He later reflected on the mental toll of solo play after the Laver Cup‘s electric camaraderie.

This grit not only salvaged the match but bolstered his pursuit of a second straight Nitto ATP Finals berth, holding sixth in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin after last year’s final loss to Jannik Sinner. With a 46-17 record in 2025—second only to Alcaraz‘s 62 victories—Fritz eyes reclaiming the Tokyo crown he won in 2022, setting up a round-two test against Nuno Borges, whose lefty spins could demand fresh adjustments on this grippy surface.

Taking care of business @Taylor_Fritz97 survives the Diallo test to advance to round two.@japanopentennis | #kinoshitajotennis pic.twitter.com/S2YAcknt7P

— ATP Tour (@atptour) September 25, 2025

American resolve fuels collective push

While Fritz headlined the night, the U.S. contingent surged forward with matching comebacks, as Sebastian Korda edged Marcos Giron 4-6, 6-3, 7-6(4) in a duel of grinding exchanges under the arena’s glare. Recovering from a right shin stress fracture that erased his grass season, Korda climbed seven spots to No. 67 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings, his forehand carving sharper inside-in angles as fatigue tested both men’s defenses. The match’s tempo, a blend of heavy topspin loops and urgent volleys, mirrored the humidity’s slow drain, yet he emerged poised for a clash with Japanese qualifier Sho Shimabukuro, who stunned fifth seed Tomas Machac 6-3, 7-6(4) in his tour-level debut this year.

Jenson Brooksby added upset fire, dismantling sixth seed and 2024 finalist Ugo Humbert 7-6(4), 6-3 with a tapestry of spins that turned aggressive net forays into passing-shot opportunities. His 17th tour-level win of the season keeps him on pace to eclipse his 2022 high of 25, when he scaled to World No. 33, blending slice approaches with crosscourt counters that frustrated the Frenchman’s power. Next, Brooksby faces Luciano Darderi, who outlasted home hope Yoshihito Nishioka 7-6(9), 6-3 in a tiebreak slog, promising a crafty affair where underspin could tame flat drives amid Tokyo’s expectant buzz.

Humidity tempers power in pivotal nights

These hard courts, with their controlled skid and moderate pace, reward the adaptable over the overwhelming, as Fritz’s mid-match pivot from absorbing firepower to dictating one–two patterns illustrated. Diallo‘s edge in winners faded against returns stepped inside the baseline, cutting off wide angles and forcing errors in the decider’s tense exchanges. The crowd’s murmurs built with each hold, a rhythmic undercurrent that amplified the psychological tug-of-war, where post-Laver Cup solitude tested resolve but ultimately forged sharper focus.

As the Americans embed deeper into the draw, their recoveries signal a delegation harnessing quiet determination against the tournament’s local fervor. Fritz, carrying echoes of Agassi’s bench fire, approaches Borges with a game tuned for low-bouncing rallies and opportunistic slices, each point a stake in a year-end narrative still unfolding. In Tokyo’s charged nights, where sweat and strategy intertwine, this surge hints at redemptions yet to come, propelling the group toward clashes that could redefine their autumn arcs.