Taylor Fritz’s breakout tournament isn’t over yet.
The American teenager fought back to win 2-6, 6-3, 6-4 over Lithuania’s Ricardas Berankis on Saturday to advance to the final of the Memphis Open in only his third tour-level event.
Fritz pounded 17 aces – adding to his tournament-high 47 – and broke Berankis five times in five chances to become the youngest American to reach an ATP Tour final since Michael Chang in 1989.
It’s been a meteoric rise for the California native, who four months ago was ranked 694th in the world. He will climb to No102 after Saturday’s victory and to around No82 if he wins Sunday’s final against top-seeded Kei Nishikori, who won in three sets over Sam Querrey in Saturday’s second semi-final.
Last year Fritz reached the quarter-finals or better at all four junior grand slams, winning the US Open boys’ championship before turning 18 in October. He opened this year with a win in the $75,000 Happy Valley Challenger before qualifying for the Australian Open main draw, where he lost a five-set thriller to countryman Jack Sock.
Now he’s reached the final in his third ATP tournament, faster than major champions Jimmy Connors (who did it in his 10th try), Andy Roddick (10th), Andre Agassi (11th), Michael Chang (17th), John McEnroe (17th) and Jim Courier (33rd).
