Taylor Fritz has reached the last four of the Monte Carlo Masters for the first time in his career after a convincing straight sets win over Stefanos Tsitsipas. Tsitsipas had won the last two editions of Monte Carlo, but he was shocked by the American in straight sets on Friday afternoon. Fritz hit 17 winners compared to Tsitsipas’ 10 and converted four out of his five break point opportunities.

It was a double milestone kind of day for Taylor Fritz in Monte Carlo on Friday – not only was his 6-2, 6-4 quarterfinal victory over two-time defending champion Stefanos Tsitsipas the 200th win of his career, but he’s the first American to reach the semifinals in Monaco in 20 years.

The last American to reach the final four was Vince Spadea in 2003.

Tsitsipas was on a 12-match winning streak in Monte Carlo heading into the clash with the American, but Fritz was able to overcome the world No. 2 in straight sets in one hour and 12 minutes.

“I thought my level today was really high. I thought I played a very good match,” said Fritz.

“I seemed to play well on the big points. I kind of just took my chances – I knew that if I played too safe, then he was going to be able to get around and dictate with the forehand. So even in the pressure moments I kind of just stuck to my strategy of pulling the trigger, and trying to not let him get those forehands to dictate on.”

The top two seeds have now been knocked out of the clay-court tournament following Novak Djokovic’s exit in the third round Thursday.

Awaiting Fritz in the semifinals will be Andrey Rublev, who ended the run of German qualifier Jan-Lennard Struff earlier in the day, 6-1, 7-6 (5).

In the earlier quarter-final, Rublev secured a 6-1 7-6 (7-5) victory against German qualifier Jan-Lennard Struff.

Fritz leads Rublev in their head-to-head, 4-2, and he’s won their last three meetings, but the two have never played each other on clay.