By Richard Pagliaro | Saturday, October 24, 2026
Photo credit: Screen Shot
Facing triple set point, Taylor Fritz silenced stress with a flurry of wall-rocking serves.
Slashing two aces and a serve winner to deny all three set points, Fritz imposed the final word on good friend Tommy Paul when it mattered most.
Fritz fired 15 aces—and fended off all nine break points he faced—out-dueling former junior roommate Paul 6-3, 7-5 in a highly-entertaining Lyon semifinal today.
It was Fritz’s fourth win in seven Tour-level meetings vs. Paul continuing the see-saw rivalry between buddies and frequent practice partners.
“We know each other’s games so well. We practice all the time,” Fritz said of Paul. “Since we’ve been pro, we’ve always gone back and forth, no one’s ever won two matches in a row.”
The second seeded Fritz advanced to his 24th Tour level final where he will face an Italian—either top-seeded French Open finalist Flavio Cobolli or sixth-seeded Lorenzo Musetti, who owns a Wimbledon win over the American—in Sunday’s Lyon final.
On the surface, today’s all-American semifinal pits Fritz’s stinging serve, baseline firepower and immaculate ball striking versus Paul’s unsettling versatility, all-court acumen and superior speed around the court.
The reality was both men showed flashes of all-court dazzle combining for 58 winners—Fritz hit 32 winners—and some superb touch volleys. Paul was 17 of 19 at net, while Fritz was nine of nine in the front court.
“I thought it was super super high level,” Fritz said. “So many points I played as good as I could possibly play and he still beat me.
“And I think the other way around too. We both made each other work for it a lot.”
It is the fifth final of the season for Washington, DC champion Fritz, who will play for his 12th career title tomorrow. Fritz scored his first Top 20 win on a hard court since he defeated Musetti in the Nitto ATP Finals last November and denied Paul his 250th career victory.
Fritz won the coin toss, elected to serve and saved a break point before firing a diagonal forehand to hold in the opening game.
Following a medical timeout, Fritz clubbed a forehand return winner down the line for break point. Attacking, Fritz slid a slick backhand volley winner with sidespin breaking with a flourish for 3-1.
Serving to consolidate, Fritz squandered a 40-Love lead for the second time and saved a second break point on a Paul return error. Fritz fired the wide serve to set up the forehand strike, erasing a third break point. Fritz held firm through a tough hold for 4-1.
Serving for the set, Fritz hammered a heavy forehand into the corner on a tense 30-All point for set point.
Throwing down a smash, Fritz sealed a one-set lead after 44 minutes.
Though Paul earned three break points, Fritz’s jolting baseline power and timely serving overcame his friend’s speedy court-coverage and ball-control precision.
Paul kept piling up the pressure earning three more break points in Fritz’s first service game of the second set.
Fritz came up with a deft backhand drop volley and erased a third break point with an ace holding to level the set after two games.
Sporting a full Reilly Opelka-style beard, Paul coughed up a couple of double faults in a challenging seventh game.
Surging forward, Paul erupted in explosiveness—soaring to throw down a smash—that helped him hold for 4-3. By then, Paul was 16 of 16 closing at net.
Serving at 4-5, Love-40, Fritz showed why he’s one of the sport’s most commanding servers. Cracking a couple of aces and a serve winner, Fritz quickly erased all three set points in stirring hold to level after 10 games.
That stirring stand not only empowered Fritz, it haunted Paul, who blinked in the next game.
Moving backward, Fritz found his footing and flicked a forehand pass down the line for Love-30. Paul could not cope with angled drives from his friend as Fritz scored the first break of the second set for a 6-5 lead.
Firing his 14th ace followed by a serve winner gave Fritz triple match point.
Fritz slammed his 15th ace out wide sealing a high quality one hour, 41-minute triumph.
“It’s amazing to see a packed crowd, a full crowd, at this tournament tonight,” Fritz said. “When I first showed up I thought this was a big stadium for a 250, but all week long the crowd has been incredible.”
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