The China Mail - Fritz outlasts Murray to advance at rain-hit Washington

World number nine Fritz, coming off his sixth career ATP title last week in Atlanta, rallied to dispatch the 44th-ranked British star after a three-hour battle.

The 25-year-old American's reward was a later quarter-final against Australian Jordan Thompson, who ousted American Christopher Eubanks 6-2, 6-2 in another match postponed from Thursday because of rain.

On the women's side at the ATP and WTA hardcourt event, top seed Jessica Pegula outlasted Wimbledon semi-finalist Elina Svitolina 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 to reach the semi-finals.

The American will face the winner of a later quarter-final between US seventh seed Madison Keys and Greek fourth seed Maria Sakkari, who beat Canadian Leylah Fernandez 7-5, 6-2 on Friday in a rain-postponed match.

Murray, showing his formidable range of skills at age 36, won his first break chance of the match with a forehand cross-court drop volley winner on the line, breaking Fritz and pull level 5-5 on the way to a first set tie-break.

Murray smashed a forehand winner for a 3-1 lead, took a quick break to replace a shattered shoe, then took two points off Fritz's serve for a 5-2 lead. He closed out the first set two points later on a forehand winner.

Fritz battled back to take the second and they fought to 4-4 in the third before Murray swatted a backhand wide to surrender a break.

Murray roared to a 40-0 lead in the 10th game but Fritz saved three break points, the last on his 17th ace. Murray denied him on two match points but Fritz blasted a forehand winner on his third chance for the victory.

- Pegula rallies to win -

Pegula broke to open the final set and denied Svitolina on five break points in the sixth game before holding for a 4-2 lead.

Svitolina saved two match points before holding in the ninth game but Pegula saved a break point in the 10th game and advanced with a service winner on her third match point, improving to 3-1 overall against Svitolina after two hours and eight minutes.

"I was like, 'If I don't serve this out, it might have been a quick 5-7.' I probably would have lost," Pegula said.

"I was so tired. I know that sounds terrible to say. That's not what you're supposed to be thinking but... I sweated through the entire thing."

World number three Pegula, the 2019 Washington champion, reached her fifth WTA semi-final of the year and first since April.

Svitolina, making a comeback after becoming a mother last year, is coming off a trip to the French Open quarter-finals and a victory over top-ranked Iga Swiatek at Wimbledon.

"Tons of respect for her," Pegula said of Svitolina. "She just had a baby. Everything she's going through with her country. I told her I feel like she came back as a new person. You can see the competitiveness."

Tallon Griekspoor ousted France's Gael Monfils, the 2016 Washington champion, 6-4, 1-6, 6-3 in a match halted by rain. The Dutchman faces American J.J. Wolf next.

British ninth seed Daniel Evans beat Alexander Shevchenko 6-4, 6-3 to book a later quarter-final against either second-seeded hometown hero Frances Tiafoe or Chinese teenager Shang Juncheng.

That eventual winner has a Saturday semi-final date with Bulgarian fifth seed Grigor Dimitrov, who advanced by walkover due to a leg injury for France's Ugo Humbert.

Liudmila Samsonova, the eighth seed from Russia, beat Ukraine's Marta Kostyuk 6-4, 6-2 to book a semi-final against either US third seed Coco Gauff or Swiss sixth seed Belinda Bencic.

F.Brown--ThChM