STUTTGART, June 16, 2023
Qualifier Marton Fucscovics continued his fine run of form on grass this week by knocking out World No. 8 and second-seeded US-American Taylor Fritz 6-4, 7-5 in Friday’s quarterfinals of the BOSS Open in Stuttgart.
On a sunny day at the Tennis Club Weissenhof, the 31-year-old Hungarian withstood eight aces and broke his rival’s serve two times to secure victory in one hour and 40 minutes. Fucsovics has captured his first Top 10 win since defeating No. 7 Andrey Rublev at Wimbledon 2021 and is enjoying his time on the surface again.
🔝 performance
Marton Fucsovics upsets Fritz to move into his 4th ATP semi-final of his career in Stuttgart!#BOSSOPEN pic.twitter.com/XQP8sgWGc2
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) June 16, 2023
“I got used to the grass very good,” Fucsovics said afterwards. “I already played four matches this week and I love to play on this surface. Today I was very motivated. Taylor only played one match on grass, so maybe I had a bit of an advantage. I served well and was focused. Overall, I played a good match.”
The World No. 86 has reached the stage of the final four for the fourth time and will compete in his first tour-level semi-final since 2021 in Rotterdam.
“For me it’s easier to adapt to the grass courts. It’s one of my favourite surfaces. I played quarterfinals at Wimbledon two years ago and won the Juniors Championships there. For me it’s harder to adapt to clay courts,” said Fucsovics, who captured the Wimbledon Boys’ trophy in 2010 and became World No. 1 in the Juniors Ranking in the following.
“I won the tournament without dropping a set and I am very proud of this achievement but I cannot live with this result all my life. I also had to get some results on the men’s tour, which is more important competing against these guys at this level. I am very proud myself.”
Tiafoe battles past Musetti
Fucsovics will next take on Frances Tiafoe, who fought past sixth-seeded Italian Lorenzo Musetti 6-7(6), 7-6(4), 6-2 earlier in the day. The No. 3 seed from the United States outpointed his opponent 117-110 after after two hours and 41 minutes
“I was really pissed off after I lost the first set. When you had a look at my body language early in the second set, I was close to let it go but I continued to compete hard, was lucky in the breaker at 5-4 and played a good third set. It was a good day at the office,” Tiafoe said.
“We know each other pretty well,” Fucsovics said of his upcoming task. “We are good friends but it’s a semi-final and I want to win the match.” The Hungarian leads the pairs head-to-head record 2-1.
In the top half of the draw, Hubert Hurkacz of Poland beat Austalia’s Christopher O’Connell 6-4, 6-4. The No. 4 seed of the ATP 250 event fired 16 aces and won 91 per cent of his first-service points to prevail after one hour and 26 minutes. Hurkacz will next play home favourite Jan-Lennard Struff, a 6-4, 7-5 winner over French veteran Richard Gasquet, who defeated top seed Stefanos Tsitsipas in the second round to earn his 600th tour-level win.
