London, July 8 (IANS) Taylor Fritz exorcised his quarterfinals demon at the Wimbledon on Tuesday, defeating Karen Khachanov 6-3, 6-4, 1-6, 7-6(4) in a gripping contest on No. 1 Court to book his place in the semifinals for the first time.

The American, seeded fifth and fresh off titles in Stuttgart and Eastbourne, displayed grit and composure in a two-hour, 36-minute triumph that marked his first victory in three career meetings with the Russian. It also served as redemption after his agonising five-set quarter-final loss to Rafael Nadal in 2022, as per ATP.

“I’m feeling great to get through it. I feel like the match was going so well for me for two sets. I’ve never had a match really just flip so quickly, so I’m really happy with how I came back in the fourth set and got it done. I think the momentum was definitely not going to have been on my side going into a fifth,” said Fritz in his on-court interview.

Fritz looked firmly in control early on, claiming the first two sets without facing a break point. But the match turned dramatically in the third, as Khachanov surged ahead, sweeping the first five games and ultimately dominating the set. Fritz called for a medical timeout to treat a right foot issue, and Khachanov capitalised by breaking again early in the fourth.

Refusing to fold, the 27-year-old American broke back for 2-2 and steadied the ship, pushing the set to a tiebreak. There, Fritz delivered under pressure, showcasing sharp serving and consistency from the baseline to close out the match.

With the win, Fritz advances to his second Grand Slam semifinal — the first being the 2023 US Open — and will next face either defending champion Carlos Alcaraz or Britain’s Cameron Norrie.

Taylor Fritz’s best performance in Grand Slam competitions was finishing runner-up at the US Open last year. He had previously reached the quarterfinals at the Australian Open in 2024.

–IANS

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