Fritz Defeats Cilic in Dallas, Reaches Final | ATP Tour 2026
- Top-seeded American Taylor Fritz secured his place in the final of the Nexo Dallas Open on Saturday, defeating Croatia’s Marin Cilic in a compelling two-set match.
- The match, lasting two hours and two minutes, was characterized by powerful serving from both players, with neither managing a break point throughout the contest.
- I think that's the biggest thing when I feel calm and relaxed, I serve well," Fritz shared in a post-match interview, highlighting the key to his success.
Fritz Advances to Dallas Final After Hard-Fought Victory Over Cilic
Top-seeded American Taylor Fritz secured his place in the final of the Nexo Dallas Open on Saturday, defeating Croatia’s Marin Cilic in a compelling two-set match. The final score was 7-6(5), 7-6(3), marking a significant win for Fritz on home soil.
The match, lasting two hours and two minutes, was characterized by powerful serving from both players, with neither managing a break point throughout the contest. Fritz ultimately prevailed by demonstrating composure in the crucial tie-breaks. He unleashed a total of 22 aces, compared to Cilic’s 16, according to Infosys ATP Stats.
“Just really calm serving. I think that’s the biggest thing when I feel calm and relaxed, I serve well,” Fritz shared in a post-match interview, highlighting the key to his success.
Despite failing to capitalize on five break-point opportunities, Fritz maintained a high first-serve percentage, winning 86 percent (48 of 56) of those points. He described the mental challenge of maintaining focus when dominating on serve while facing opportunities against his opponent’s delivery. “That’s something every tennis player experiences when you’re the one in the opponent’s service games,” Fritz said. “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.”
This victory elevates Fritz’s head-to-head record against Cilic to 3-1. It also marks his first final appearance on American soil since reaching the US Open final in 2024. He will now face either fellow American Ben Shelton or defending champion Denis Shapovalov in Sunday’s championship match.
For Cilic, the semi-final run in Dallas represented a positive step in his resurgence, propelling him 18 positions up the PIF ATP Live Rankings to No. 43. He had been aiming for his first final beyond the ATP 250 level since winning the Queen’s Club title in 2018, but Fritz proved too strong on this occasion.
The Nexo Dallas Open continues to draw attention as a key event on the ATP Tour calendar, showcasing competitive tennis and rising stars like Fritz. The final promises to be an exciting encounter, with a potential all-American showdown on the cards.