Taylor Fritz staged a remarkable comeback to defeat Alexander Zverev in a five-set thriller on Monday during the Wimbledon fourth round. Overcoming a two-set deficit, the 13th-seeded American secured his place in the quarterfinals with a 4-6, 6-7 (4), 6-4, 7-6 (3), 6-3 victory on Centre Court.

The match, marked by high tension and drama, extended for 3 1/2 hours under the closed retractable roof. It was the 35th five-set match at Wimbledon this year, tying the record for the most at any Grand Slam event in the Open era. Fritz’s comeback was the 11th from a two-set deficit in this tournament, another record.

Zverev, playing with a bone bruise in his right knee, expressed frustration over the enthusiastic cheering from Fritz’s guest box in the fifth set. This led to a prolonged and somewhat tense exchange at the net post-match. Despite the tension, Fritz downplayed the incident, focusing instead on his achievement. “It was amazing to do that on Centre Court at Wimbledon, two sets down,” said the 26-year-old Californian.

Zverev clarified that his frustration was not directed at Fritz or his coaches but at other members of Fritz’s support group, suggesting their excitement was excessive given his physical condition. “I was playing on one leg,” Zverev remarked, highlighting the impact of his knee injury on his mobility.

The statistics underscored Fritz’s resilient performance. He converted two of four break points, hit 15 aces, and committed zero double-faults. The match featured 124 winners, with Fritz contributing 69, and 56 unforced errors, with Fritz accounting for 23.

This victory marks Fritz’s fourth major quarterfinal and second at Wimbledon. He previously reached the Wimbledon quarterfinals in 2022, where he lost to Rafael Nadal. Reflecting on his upcoming match against 25th-seeded Lorenzo Musetti, a first-time Slam quarterfinalist, Fritz noted, “This will be my first quarterfinal where I’m the more experienced person.”

Fritz joins Tommy Paul in the final eight, making it the first time since 2000 that two American men have reached this stage at Wimbledon. Meanwhile, Novak Djokovic, the seven-time Wimbledon champion, defeated No. 15 seed Holger Rune 6-3, 6-4, 6-2, setting up a quarterfinal clash with No. 9 seed Alex de Minaur.

In other matches, Lorenzo Musetti advanced to his first Grand Slam quarterfinal by defeating Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard. Italy made history with three singles quarterfinalists at a major for the first time, as Musetti joined Jannik Sinner and Jasmine Paolini.

The women’s fourth-round saw victories for 2022 champion Elena Rybakina, No. 21 seed Elina Svitolina, and 2017 French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko. Rybakina advanced when Anna Kalinskaya retired due to a wrist injury. Svitolina, displaying solidarity with her home country Ukraine, wore a black ribbon and easily overcame Wang Xinyu. Krejcikova defeated Danielle Collins, and Ostapenko beat Yulia Putintseva, who had earlier eliminated top seed Iga Swiatek.

Fritz’s victory against Zverev highlights his impressive form on grass, extending his winning streak to eight matches, including a title at Eastbourne before Wimbledon. Reflecting on his game, Fritz stated, “What I enjoy the most on grass is just when you hit a good shot, you’re rewarded for it.”