Fritz survives 'sharp ache', Korda to succeed in Dallas semis

Dallas

Fritz survives ‘sharp ache’, Korda to succeed in Dallas semis

High seed to face former World No. 3 on Saturday

February 13, 2026

Taylor Fritz survived a razor-tight match and an damage scare Friday to beat Sebastian Korda 6-7(2), 6-4, 7-6(5) for a spot within the Nexo Dallas Open semi-finals.

At 4-5, 30/15 first set, Fritz hit an ungainly backhand flick that led to a pointy ache and a physio go to in the identical recreation. After talking all through the week about accidents he has handled prior to now 12 months, it was an alarming sight.

“That was a bizarre one. He hit a extremely exhausting return and so I needed to type of hit a flick backhand and the way in which that I [hit it], simply jammed my elbow I believe. It was a hard-hit ball, so I simply suppose the way in which I hit it behind me and prolonged my elbow, I immediately simply felt this actually sharp ache in my elbow,” Fritz stated in his on-court interview. “I went over to the towel field, I used to be feeling it and I used to be like, ‘I’ll attempt to hit a serve’. Fortunately I made it and it wasn’t a nasty serve, as a result of the ball got here again and I couldn’t hit the subsequent ball. It was such a pointy ache.”

Fritz had the damage labored on and was nonetheless feeling the ache, however not as intensely. He obtained a number of visits from the physio, which he defined helped.

“It felt prefer it was higher after which I began to get some confidence in it. After which I served one which gave me the very same ache and it’s such a pointy ache… like I can barely maintain the racquet. No probability I can hit the subsequent ball,” Fritz stated. “It was bizarre, however then I acquired the pain-killers and because the match went on, I ended feeling it and I used to be in a position to belief it and haven’t any ache the entire third, a lot of the second set.”

Even so, Fritz needed to cope with Korda, who served at 5/4 within the final-set tie-break. However the former No. 15 participant within the PIF ATP Rankings made back-to-back forehand errors, permitting Fritz to flee. The highest seed hit 22 aces and saved all 4 break factors he confronted, in response to Infosys ATP Stats.

Fritz will subsequent face former World No. 3 Marin Cilic, who stormed previous breakthrough Briton Jack Pinnington Jones 6-1, 6-4 in simply 78 minutes.

The Croatian, a 21-time tour-level champion, is pursuing his first ATP Tour title since Hangzhou in 2024. Fritz leads their Lexus ATP Head2Head sequence 2-1, however they haven’t performed since 2022.