Alejandro Davidovich Fokina issues clarification after controversial MTO during Taylor Fritz upset at Delray Beach Open

Alejandro Davidovich Fokina has disclosed the reason behind his dubious medical time-out at 6-5 up in the second set of his quarterfinal victory against Taylor Fritz at the 2024 Delray Beach Open on Friday (February 14). The Spaniard claimed that he suffered from back niggles towards the end of their encounter, so much so that he had to take painkillers.

The last-four meeting between Fritz and Davidovich Fokina in Delray Beach went the latter's way as he came through 7-6(4), 7-6(5). However, controversy erupted following the 11th game of the second set when Davidovich Fokina took a medical time-out just as the top seed was serving to stay in the match.

Although Taylor Fritz served out the game easily, he was outplayed by his fifth-seeded opponent in the tiebreaker. After the match, many fans piled up on the 25-year-old Spaniard for his medical time-out. However, he cleared the air during his on-court interview if tennis insider Jose Morgado's report on X (formerly Twitter) is anything to go by.

Alejandro Davidovich Fokina revealed that he apologized to his opponent at the net following their match. He also claimed that the timing of the MTO wasn't deliberate.

"I apologized to Taylor because I was really feeling my back in the end of the second set. I didn't do it on purpose. I had to take 5 or 6 pills to be able to play," Alejandro Davidovich Fokina said.

Fritz, meanwhile, now has an 8-4 win/loss record on the ATP Tour this season. The highlights of the American's season came during the United Cup in January, where he won four of his five matches to guide Team USA to their second title at the team event. He slowed down after that, though, going out in the third round of the Australian Open and the second round of the Dallas Open before his Delray Beach campaign.

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Alejandro Davidovich Fokina to take on Matteo Arnaldi for a place in the final of Delray Beach Open 2025

Davidovich Fokina hits a forehand in Delray Beach (Source: Getty Images)

Alejandro Davidovich Fokina will be eager to reach his second career final on the ATP Tour in Delray Beach this week. The World No. 60 will face fourth-seeded Matteo Arnaldi in the semifinals of the ATP 250 tournament.

Davidovich Fokina's lone tour-level final so far came at the 2022 Monte-Carlo Masters. Back then, the 25-year-old went on a giant-killing run at the Masters 1000 tournament, beating Novak Djokovic and Taylor Fritz en route to a runner-up finish to Stefanos Tsitsipas.