Taylor Fritz is starting to make reaching big finals a habit. And he feels like he belongs among the very best players in tennis, too.

The American followed up his runner-up finish at the U.S. Open by beating Alexander Zverev 6-3, 3-6, 7-6 (3) on Saturday to advance to the final at the ATP Finals.

In Sunday’s final, Fritz will face top-ranked Jannik Sinner — the player he lost to in the U.S. Open final. Sinner also beat Fritz in straight sets in the group stage this week.

Sinner advanced with a rapid 6-1, 6-2 win over Casper Ruud.

Fritz became the first American finalist since James Blake lost the 2006 final to Roger Federer. The last American to win the elite eight-man event was Pete Sampras, who beat Andre Agassi in 1999.

Baseball

Pirates offering season tickets for Skenes card >> A Topps trading card featuring a patch from Pittsburgh Pirates rookie pitcher Paul Skenes’ jersey and his autograph is so hot the Pirates are making a splashy offer in hopes of landing it in trade.

The team has put together a package that includes season tickets behind home plate at PNC Park for 30 years, a softball game on the field, and a meet and greet with Skenes for whoever lands the one-of-a-kind item and gives it to the team.

The first overall pick in the 2023 draft made his major league debut in May and put together one of the most impressive rookie seasons in recent memory.

Racing

23xi and Front Row can still compete in 2025 while suing NASCAR >> The two teams suing NASCAR over an antitrust complaint said they will compete in 2025 as “open teams” after the sanctioning body removed anticompetitive release claims that will allow them to race while the legal process continues.

23XI Racing, the team owned by NBA Hall of Famer Michael Jordan and three-time Daytona 500 winner Denny Hamlin, and Front Row Motorsports refused in September to sign take-it-or-leave it revenue sharing offers made by NASCAR just 48 hours before the start of the playoffs.

The teams have filed an antitrust suit alleging NASCAR is “monopolistic bullies” and were denied in federal court last week a request to be recognized as “chartered” teams as the suit continues. A charter is essentially a franchise and guarantees prize money, a spot in the field each week, and other protections.