A break down against John Isner normally means the end of a set.
Being down 6-2, 4-2, and serving at 0-40 normally means the end of a match.
But Taylor Fritz–despite facing that situation–was not done. The 22-year-old stormed back from the brink of defeat to stun Isner 2-6, 7-5, 6-3 in the semifinals of the Abierto Mexicano Telcel on Saturday night. Fritz earned a place in his first 500-point final after one hour and 41 minutes.
Earlier on Friday, Novak Djokovic made a similar escape in the semis of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships. Djokovic avoided a first-ever loss on the main tour to Gael Monfils and improved to 17-0 lifetime in the head-to-head series by saving three match points for a 2-6, 7-6(8), 6-1 victory.
Monfils led 6-3 in the second-set tiebreaker but could not convert any of his three chances.
Djokovic is facing Stefanos Tsitsipas in the Dubai final, while Fritz is going up against Rafael Nadal for the Acapulco title on Saturday night. Nadal dominated the semifinal nightcap against Grigor Dimitrov 6-3, 6-2.
“He’s playing well,” the second-ranked Spaniard said of Fritz. “He has a great serve, fantastic shots from the baseline. It’s going to be a tough one. I know I’m going to have to be at my best and I hope to be ready for it.”
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Monfils, you had it