The Greek recovered after losing the opening set to secure a three-set victory over the 11th-seeded Fritz at the ATP Masters 1000 tournament. The match also attracted attention for a replay-related controversy, which featured prominently in the ATP Tour’s report.
The victory continued Tsitsipas’ efforts to rebuild his form and improve his position in the world rankings following a challenging period.
Tsitsipas fights back after losing opening set
Fritz started strongly and took the first set 6–3, putting Tsitsipas under pressure early in the contest.
However, the former world number three responded in the second set, raising his level to claim it 7–5 and force a deciding set.
Tsitsipas then maintained his momentum in the third, winning 6–3 to complete the comeback and book his place in the fourth round.
The result underlined the Greek’s ability to respond under pressure against a high-ranked opponent, particularly after falling behind in a match where both players possess powerful serves and aggressive baseline games.
Replay incident adds drama to Shanghai encounter
The contest was also marked by a replay-related incident, according to the ATP Tour’s match report, which described Tsitsipas as having “manifested” the victory.
Although the incident became a talking point, the final score confirmed Tsitsipas’ three-set success. Further details about the specific replay decision should be established from the match footage or the full ATP Tour report before drawing conclusions about its effect on the outcome.
Head-to-head rivalry swings Tsitsipas’ way
The win improved Tsitsipas’ record against Fritz to 5–2, according to reports following the match.
Tsitsipas had also defeated the American at the United Cup earlier in 2026, winning 6–4, 7–5. The latest result therefore gave the Greek a second victory over Fritz during the season.
Fritz, meanwhile, will be disappointed to exit after taking the opening set, having been unable to prevent Tsitsipas from turning the contest around.
Tsitsipas continues Shanghai resurgence
The Shanghai result provides another encouraging sign for Tsitsipas as he looks to regain consistency and climb the rankings.
For Fritz, the defeat ends his singles campaign at this stage of the tournament. Tsitsipas advances to the fourth round, where he will look to build on the momentum generated by his comeback victory.
With the ATP season approaching its closing stages, strong performances at Masters 1000 events remain valuable for players seeking to improve their rankings and finish the year positively.