Alexander Zverev, Stefanos Tsitsipas bow out, Taylor Fritz and Nikoloz Basilashvili enter semi-finals

Olympic champion Alexander Zverev and French Open runner-up Stefanos Tsitsipas suffered shocking quarter-final exits in the ATP Indian Wells tournament.

Zverev, who was aiming to win his third ATP Masters 1000 title of the season, lost 4-6 6-3 7-6(3) after Taylor Fritz fought back from 2-5 down in the final set and saved two match points to stun the German in the California desert.

Fritz was the clear favorite at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden, where 83-year-old Hall of Famer Rod Laver looked on. Fritz, the 23-year-old son of retired top-10 player Kathy May, grew up in the San Diego area and attended the tournament as a youngster.

Fritz had five previous wins over top-10 players in 2019, including No. 5 Dominic Thiem at the Laver Cup. Now, he’s bagged his biggest by beating Zverev, ranked fourth in the world.

Georgian Nikoloz Basilashvili stunned world number three Stefanos Tsitsipas at Indian Wells on Friday, 6-4 2-6 6-4, to reach his first-ever Masters 1000 semi-final.

The 36th-ranked Basilashvili was the clear underdog against the French Open finalist but mounted a stout defense to send the Greek packing, saving six of 10 break points after picking up a pair of ATP titles in Qatar and at the Bavarian Championships earlier this year.

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