Sawt Falasteen - Top seed Fritz to face Kecmanovic in ATP Delray Beach final

US top seed Fritz beat his 56th-ranked compatriot 6-3, 7-6 (8/6) in 95 minutes to book a chance at his fifth career ATP crown.

"I feel really good," Fritz said. "I'm just playing better and better each match since I've been here. I love the moment. I love competing in finals so I know I'll play a good game tomorrow."

Fritz will face Serbian fourth seed Miomir Kecmanovic, who defeated Moldova's Radu Albot 7-6 (10/8), 3-6, 6-2 after two hours and 28 minutes in the other semifinal.

Fritz, in his 10th career ATP final, has won his past three title matches, taking trophies last March at Indian Wells, last June at Eastbourne and last October's Japan Open.

"I don't feel like I've been in 10," Fritz said. "But I try to forget about the ones I lose so maybe that's why."

Fritz rolled ahead at the start and rallied from a 4-1 hole in the second set.

He netted a backhand on his first match-point chance in the tie-break but McDonald netted a backhand on the next point and Fritz took advantage.

Handcuffed by a shot, Fritz smacked a backhand volley that dropped in for the deciding winner.

"I just came out with a lot of energy. I was being really aggressive in the beginning," Fritz said. "Anytime I got time for the ball to settle I was ripping it.

"I was down a break in the second, maybe got away from that a little bit and in the end just tried to get back into being aggressive."

Kecmanovic's only ATP title came in 2020 at Kitzbühel.

Albot, whose only ATP title came at Delray Beach in 2019, was up a break in the third set before the Serb rallied to capture his 100th career ATP match victory.

"I was a little bit nervous throughout the match, but luckily I was able to stay calm when it mattered, play good and I'm happy I was able to come through," Kecmanovic said.

Britain's Cameron Norrie, last year's Delray Beach champion, skipped this year's event to play the Argentina Open, where he will meet world number two Carlos Alcaraz of Spain in Sunday's final.

S.Barghouti--SF-PST