Fritz tops Rublev to make NBO semifinals

TORONTO - Taylor Fritz stepped under the spotlight and almost immediately blasted three aces with power and precision.

The hard-serving American never really looked back — and now has a spot in the National Bank Open semifinals for the first time. 

The hard-serving Fritz flexed his muscles in impressive fashion Tuesday, cruising past No. 6 Andrey Rublev of Russia 6-3, 7-6 (4) at Sobeys Stadium. 

The No. 2 seed will next face fellow No. 4 Ben Shelton after his countryman also advanced to the NBO semis for the first time by topping No. 9 Alex de Minaur 6-3, 6-4. 

Wednesday's other semifinal will see top-seeded Alexander Zverev of Germany — the 2017 tournament winner in Montreal — take on No. 11 Karen Khachanov of Russia. 

The title showdown for the Canadian men's tennis championship goes Thursday on the campus of York University. 

"It was clean, serving well, playing well," Fritz said. "I'm happy with everything." 

The 27-year-old, who finished with 20 aces, came out firing in hazy and breezy conditions with three aces to win the first game. He then broke Rublev in securing the match's first eight points. 

Fritz, who sits fourth in the ATP Tour rankings and lost last year's U.S. Open final to world No. 1 Jannik Sinner, fired two more aces to go up 4-1 before serving out the set.

Rublev lamented the quick Centre Court surface — "there is not much tennis" — that played to his opponent's strength.

"Here the game is very simple," he said. "Taylor served unbelievable."

Fritz, meanwhile, said the harder balls being used in Toronto have more to do with the tennis being difficult.

Looking for his 11th ATP Tour victory — and second Masters 1000 crown — he broke Rublev with the second set tied 4-4, but the Russian returned the favour to stay alive in the next game. 

Fritz, however, wouldn't be denied in the tiebreak, and hammered his 20th ace to close out the match. 

The Santa Fe, Calif., product lost in the Wimbledon semis to world No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz, who along with a host of top players including Sinner, No. 5 Jack Draper and No. 6 Novak Djokovic all skipped the US$9.19-million hardcourt event in northwest Toronto expanded to two weeks in 2025. 

Fritz has two tournament wins on grass in 2025 and twice previously fell in the NBO round of 16 before this summer's run. He also fell to Sinner in last year's U.S. Open final. 

Rublev came to Toronto ranked No. 11 overall after losing in last year's final to Australia's Alexei Popyrin. The 27-year-old from Moscow made the fourth round of both Wimbledon and the French Open. Popyrin lost to Zverev in the quarters on Monday night. 

Fritz improved to 6-4 in his career against Rublev, who took their last meeting on clay in the Madrid semifinals some 15 months ago. 

"He's one of the best players," Rublev said. "Great results — Wimbledon semifinal, great match against Alcaraz.

"He had (an) unbelievable level."

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 5, 2025.