Taylor Fritz Survives Vacherot’s Upset Bid in Basel After Marathon Three-Setter

Look, when you’re facing a guy who just dismantled Novak Djokovic on his way to becoming the lowest-ranked ATP Masters 1000 champion in history, you know you’re in for a rough day at the office. Taylor Fritz found that out the hard way on Wednesday at the Swiss Indoors Basel, needing every ounce of his top-seed experience to survive a gritty 4-6, 7-6(4), 7-5 battle against Valentin Vacherot.

Fritz might’ve walked away with the W, but let’s be real—this wasn’t exactly a dominant performance from the American. Vacherot, still riding high from his miracle run in Shanghai, came out swinging with the same fearless aggression that had carried him from world No. 204 to No. 39 in the span of about three weeks. And honestly? For most of this match, it looked like Fritz might become the latest victim of the Monegasque’s breakout moment.

The Rocky Road to Victory

The first set belonged entirely to Vacherot. He broke Fritz’s serve early and never looked back, taking it 6-4 with the kind of confidence that makes you wonder if he’s even noticed he’s supposed to be the underdog here. Fritz, meanwhile, looked a bit rattled—understandable when you’re facing someone who’s clearly playing with house money and absolutely nothing to lose.

Things got even messier in the second set. Fritz had not one, not two, but four set points on Vacherot‘s serve at 5-3. Four chances to close things out and make this a straightforward affair. Did he convert any of them? Nope. Instead, he promptly dropped his own serve in the next game, because why make things easy when you can give your fans a collective heart attack?

But here’s where Fritz showed why he’s ranked No. 4 in the world and sporting a ridiculous 51-16 record this season. After squandering those opportunities, he didn’t crumble. Instead, he regrouped in the tiebreak, racing out to a 4-0 lead that Vacherot couldn’t overcome. Fritz eventually took it 7-4, and suddenly we had ourselves a deciding set.

The Final Set Drama

If you thought the drama was over, you clearly haven’t been watching enough tennis this year. Fritz jumped out to a 4-2 lead in the third set—comfortable, right? Wrong. Vacherot clawed his way back, because apparently nobody told him that losing momentum after a tough tiebreak loss is a thing you’re supposed to do.

But Fritz, to his credit, found another gear when it mattered most. He broke back to seal the match 7-5, extending his perfect 12-0 record in hard-court openers this season. Twelve and oh. Not bad for a guy who just survived what felt like three separate matches rolled into one.

What Fritz Had to Say

After the match, Fritz didn’t sugarcoat things. “As we played the match, I started to see why those conditions [in Shanghai] suit him very well,” he admitted. “When the balls got worn out and it slowed down a lot, that’s when he was controlling me the most and dominating me. In the last game, I was able to get the break on new balls. I was more in control of the match when it was playing a bit faster.”

Translation: Vacherot is legit, and Fritz knows it. The American had to adjust his game on the fly, recognizing that the slower conditions were playing right into his opponent’s hands. Smart tennis, even if it took him a set and a half to figure it out.

What’s Next for Fritz

Fritz will now face Ugo Humbert in the last 16 on Thursday, after the Frenchman cruised past Sebastian Korda with a comfortable 6-3, 6-4 victory. Humbert’s been in solid form lately, so don’t expect Fritz to have an easy time of it. Then again, after surviving Vacherot’s upset bid, maybe Fritz is just getting warmed up.

This win also keeps Fritz firmly in the mix for the Nitto ATP Finals. Currently sitting fifth in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin, every match counts at this point in the season. A deep run in Basel would go a long way toward securing his spot among the year-end elite.

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