STUTTGART, Germany — Taylor Fritz claimed his first title of the year with a 6-3, 7-6 (0) win over top seed Alexander Zverev in the Stuttgart Open final Sunday, extending his winning streak against the German to five matches.
Fritz, who knocked out Zverev in the fourth round of Wimbledon last year, won the opening set in 30 minutes without facing a break point. The American second seed broke for a 5-3 lead after Zverev double-faulted twice and missed a volley at the net.
The second set stayed on serve, with Zverev saving the only break point at 5-5 before Fritz pulled away in a one-sided tiebreak to seal the victory. It was Fritz’s ninth career title, fourth on grass, and improved his head-to-head record against Zverev to 8-5.
The 28-year-old Zverev has yet to win a title on grass, a surface he has long struggled on. The three-time Grand Slam finalist has never progressed beyond the fourth round at Wimbledon.
World No. 7 Fritz, 27, is set to rise to fourth in the rankings ahead of Wimbledon, which runs from June 30 to July 13.
