Fritz survives first round scare from Vacherot in Basel

VIDEO SHOWS: HIGHLIGHTS OF THE ATP500 SWISS INDOORS BASEL SHOWS: BASEL, SWITZERLAND (OCTOBER 22, 2025) (ATP MEDIA / IMG – See restrictions before use) TAYLOR FRITZ V VALENTIN VACHEROT FIRST SET 1. VACHEROT HITS A BACKHAND PAST FRITZ SECOND SET 2. TIEBREAK – RALLY ENDS WITH A FRITZ BACKHAND WINNER 3. SET POINT – FRITZ ACES TO TAKE TIEBREAK 7-4 THIRD SET 4. VACHEROT HITS A FOREHAND PAST FRITZ 5. RALLY ENDS WITH A FRITZ FOREHAND WINNER 6. MATCH POINT – VACHEROT NETS A BACKHAND VOLLEY, FRITZ WINS 4-6 7-6(4) 7-6 7. PLAYERS SHAKING HANDS 8. FRITZ SHAKING HANDS WITH UMPIRE 9. FIRTZ TAKING APPLAUSE CASPER RUUD V QUENTIN HALYS FIRST SET 10. RUUD WITH A BACKHAND WINNER 11. RUUD HITS A BACKHAND PAST HALYS SECOND SET 12. TIEBREAK – RUUD WITH A BACKHAND WINNER DOWN THE LINE 13. MATCH POINT – RUUD RETURNS A FOREHAND WIDE, RUUD WINS 6-1 7-6(3) 14. PLAYERS SHAKING HANDS 15. RUUD TAKING APPLAUSE FELIX AUGER-ALIASSIME V GABRIEL DIALLO FIRST SET 16. AUGER-ALIASSIME RETURNS A FOREHAND WINNER TO BRING UP BREAK POINT  SECOND SET 17. AUGER-ALIASSIME WITH A VOLLEY WINNER AT THE NET 18. MATCH POINT – DIALLO NETS A FOREHAND RETURN, AUGER-ALIASSIME WINS 6-2 7-5 19. PLAYERS SHAKING HANDS 20. AUGER-ALIASSIME TAKING APPLAUSE STORY: Top seed Taylor Fritz denied rising star Valentin Vacherot another upset with a 4-6 7-6(4) 7-6 win in the first round of the Swiss Indoors in Basel on Wednesday (October 22).  In action for the first time since stunning the ATP Tour as the the lowest-ranked Masters 1000 champion in Shanghai, Vacherot broke Fritz twice to take the first set. The current world number four bounced back but blew four set points at 5-3 in the second before edging it in a tiebreak. Fritz also squandered a 4-2 lead in the decider – seeing his serve broken for a fourth time – but held on to prevent the 26-year-old Monegasque, who was ranked 204 in the world just three weeks ago, his third victory against a top 10 opponent this month.  Former US Open finalist Fritz will face France's Ugo Humbert next.  Elsewhere at the hard-court ATP 500 event on Wednesday, Norwegian fourth seed Casper Ruud beat French lucky loser Quentin Halys 6-1 7-6(3) to set up a meeting with Swiss veteran Stan Wawrinka. Fresh off lifting his eighth tour-level title in Brussels on Sunday, fifth seed Felix Auger-Aliassime, meanwhile, triumphed over his Canadian compatriot Gabriel Diallo 6-2 7-5 to set up a second round match against former Grand Slam champion Marin Cilic. (Production: Andy Ragg, Conal Quinn)

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