By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Saturday February 11, 2023
Wu Yibing rallied past Taylor Fritz to reach the final in Dallas.
Photo Source: Getty
Wu Yibing wrote a chapter of Chinese tennis history on Saturday in Dallas as he rallied from a set deficit against Taylor Fritz to reach the Dallas Open final. The 23-year-old becomes the first Chinese player to reach an ATP final.
His 6-7(3), 7-5, 6-4 victory featured explosive ball-striking, electric footwork and a mountain of poise as well. Wu saved all nine break points he faced before getting past the top seed for his first Top-10 win in two hours and 33 minutes.
Wu was ranked 1869 in the ATP rankings last March due to a spate of injuries, and the effects of the pandemic. But since then he has mounted an epic surge up the rankings. After Saturday's triumph he is 76 in the ATP live rankings and could go inside the top-60 with a victory over John Isner in Sunday's Dallas final.
Isner defeated JJ Wolf in Saturday's opening semifinal, 3-6, 7-5, 7-6(4), the 37-year-old powering into his 31st ATP final.
Wu used his massive forehand and daring shotmaking to keep Fritz at bay in an incredibly close contest. The American had five break points in the second set but the Chinese kept coming up with electric shotmaking to quell Fritz's opportunities.
Eventually he broke through for 6-5 and served out the set to the chagrin of the top-seeded American.
Wu broke for 3-2 in the third and saved a break point while serving at 4-3, before serving out his victory to love.
The Chinese cracked 34 winners against 13 unforced errors on the day, many of them jaw-dropping; Fritz hit 38 winners against 20 unforced errors.
More to follow…