Channeling shades of this year’s Roland Garros, where the 37-year-old ousted Pablo Carreño Busta and added a second-round win over Steve Johnson, wild card Simon has battled to win a pair of gritty three-setters in Bercy.
At 2-3 in the third set, Simon wiped away three break points to hold in a crucial 16-point game. Three games later, he broke Fritz for the fourth time to put the match on his racquet, and subsequently shut the door at 15.
All but one of Simon’s seven tour-level wins in 2022 have come on home soil. World No. 11 Fritz is the highest-ranked player Simon has defeated since upsetting fifth-ranked Daniil Medvedev in the 2020 Marseille quarterfinals.
Could he add a Top 10 win next? Auger-Aliassime, who joined world No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz as participants due to make their inaugural ATP Finals appearances, awaits.
Meanwhile, Rublev punched his fourth consecutive ATP Finals ticket. The reigning event champion, Alexander Zverev, has been sidelined since tearing multiple ligaments in his right ankle during his Roland Garros semifinal with Rafael Nadal.