In-form Fritz reaches fourth Eastbourne final
Taylor Fritz will start his Wimbledon campaign against French world number 36 Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard on Monday [Getty Images]
World number five Taylor Fritz continued his fine form in the run-up to Wimbledon by reaching his fourth Eastbourne final with a battling win.
The defending champion defeated Spanish world number 28 Alejandro Davidovich Fokina 6-3 3-6 6-1 to set up a final with fellow American Jenson Brooksby on Saturday.
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A lucky loser, Brooksby is on a fairytale run at Eastbourne having lost in the second round of qualifying.
The world number 149 came from a set down to defeat French fourth seed Ugo Humbert 6-3 3-6 7-5 earlier on Friday.
Fritz, who beat world number three Alexander Zverev in the Stuttgart Open final 12 days ago, is among the favourites for the Wimbledon title.
A quarter-finalist last year, he will start his Wimbledon campaign against French world number 36 Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard on Monday.
In recent years, Fritz has made the Eastbourne men's singles title his own, winning three of the past five editions.
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On Thursday, he won two matches in one day after bad light had postponed his second-round tie the day before.
"I always feel like things are going to work out for me because they always do for some reason here," said Fritz in his on-court interview.
"Just showing up here and being on site and playing on centre court. I do that have that bit of confidence."
Britons Cash and Glasspool crowned doubles champion
Cash (left) and Glasspool (right) have also won titles in Brisbane and Doha this season [Getty Images]
Elsewhere at Eastbourne, British pair Julian Cash and Lloyd Glasspool won the men's doubles title by defeating Uruguayan-Belgian duo Ariel Behar and Joran Vliegen 6-4 7-6 (7-5).
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It is the pair's fifth title since they partnered up in October, 2024 and comes just five days after they lifted a historic Queen's doubles crown together.
They also reached the final of the Rosmalen Grass Court Championships earlier this month in the Netherlands.
Cash and Glasspool are seeded fifth at Wimbledon and have been drawn against Dutch duo Tallon Griekspoor and Botic van de Zandschulp in the first round.
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