Alexander Zverev vs Taylor Fritz

Wednesday, May 15, 2024

Alexander Zverev -169 / Taylor Fritz +135 Click Here for the Latest Odds

Where to Watch: USA: Tennis Channel Plus, UK: Sky Tennis, Global: Tennis TV

Third seed and 2017 champion Alexander Zverev will face Taylor Fritz in the quarterfinal of the 2024 Italian Open Rome. The match is scheduled for Wednesday, May 15, 2024. Here's our Alexander Zverev vs Taylor Fritz prediction.

Alexander Zverev vs Taylor Fritz Preview

Alexander Zverev has not dropped a set in his march to another Italian Open quarterfinal. It's the fifth time he has advanced to this stage in Rome. The German is considered the overwhelming favorite for the title now, with the world's top four currently out of the tournament either through elimination or injury. Zverev beat Portugal's No. 1 Nuno Borges 6-2, 7-5 in the last 16. He dropped serve for the first time in the tournament, but it didn't prove detrimental, as he finished the match with nine aces and 82% of first-serve points won.

Taylor Fritz, meanwhile, was pushed all the way by Grigor Dimitrov in a near three-hour battle. After coasting through the first set, the American wasted a match point deep in a dramatic second-set tie-break, which Dimitrov won on his 10th set point, much to the delight of the locals. However, Fritz did not take his eyes off the ball and regrouped to beat the fatigued Bulgarian in the decider 6-1. Overall, he tallied 13 aces and won a healthy 76% first-serve points. He was also aided by Dimitrov's malfunctioning serve, which resulted in 11 double faults.

Alexander Zverev vs Taylor Fritz Head-To-Head

• Zverev leads Fritz 4-3 in their head-to-head on the ATP Tour.

• They last played at the 2023 United Cup on hard courts, where Fritz won 6-1, 6-4.

• Wednesday's match will be their first official meeting on clay.

Alexander Zverev vs Taylor Fritz Prediction

Fritz's self-improvised moniker, "Claylor," is serving him well so far at this year's European clay swing. For so long, he has not been considered a perennial threat on the surface, but he's a vastly improved player these days. He has fantastic rally tolerance, and his ball striking is pure and crisp. But whatever good work Fritz can do on the dirt, Zverev does it even better and more efficiently. I still think the American can be a good value for a set in this one, but the outcome rests firmly on Zverev's racket.