AUDIO: Halle: Zverev loses to Fritz and misses the final (1 min)
tennis
As of: June 20, 2026 7:40 p.m
Bitter. After a great fight, Alexander Zverev lost to the American Taylor Fritz in three sets in a heated battle at the grass tournament in Halle/Westphalia.
The Hamburg tennis professional was visibly weakened from the middle of the first set in the almost 40 degree temperature on the center court. After 2:39 hours he finally lost 7:6 (7:4), 4:6 and 5:7.
For Zverev, who is still waiting for his first triumph at a grass tournament, it was already the seventh defeat in a row against Fritz.
“It was crazy hot here, I probably felt better than him,” beamed the American afterwards.
Early timeout from Zverev
Tropical temperatures prevailed in Halle on Saturday. Even Zverev, who actually loves heat, reached his physical limits. The 29-year-old had to take a break for medical treatment in the middle of the first set. Before that, after a good start, he suddenly completely lost track of the match.
To the delight of the fans, the German was able to continue. Many feared he would have to give up. Also out of consideration so as not to endanger his start at the Grand Slam tournament in Wimbledon (from June 29th).
Zverev once again showed – as he did in the final of the French Open – his great fighting spirit and gritted his teeth. Successfully! After more than an hour he won the first set in the tiebreak – 7:6 (7:4). A great energy output.
Taylor Fritz remains ice cold
In the second round, Zverev increasingly struggled with his fitness. He regularly squatted down exhausted and took breaks. Fritz was always able to thwart his plan to keep the rallies as short as possible with a lot of risk and aggressiveness.
The American hardly made any mistakes and remained ice cold despite the heat. When the score was 4:4, Fritz managed a break, which he ultimately used to win the set 6:4.
Late break decides game
Good for Zverev: Before the start of the third set, the players were allowed to take a ten-minute break off the court. Afterwards, the world number three seemed a little fresher again.
Still, it wasn’t enough for victory. Because once again Fritz was able to take the serve from Zverev in the crucial phase and ultimately convert his second match point.
In the final on Sunday, Fritz will face his US compatriot Frances Tiafoe, who beat Daniel Altmaier from Kempen 6:1, 6:3 in the second semi-final.
