Taylor Fritz takes fifth place at Mubadala Tennis Championship after win over Dan Evans

American edges his British opponent in third-set champions tiebreak in Abu Dhabi

Taylor Fritz hits a forehand to Dan Evans during their fifth-place playoff match on Day 2 of the Mubadala World Tennis Championship at the International Tennis Centre, Zayed Sports City in Abu Dhabi on Friday December 17, 2021. Victor Besa / The National

Dan Evans during his match with Taylor Fitz at the Mubadala World Tennis Championship. Victor Besa / The National

Dan Evans hits a forehand to Taylor Fitz at the Mubadala World Tennis Championship. Victor Besa / The National

Taylor Fritz hits a backhand to Dan Evans at the Mubadala World Tennis Championship. Victor Besa / The National

Spectators arrive at the Mubadala World Tennis Championship. Victor Besa / The National

Taylor Fritz in action at the Mubadala World Tennis Championship. Victor Besa / The National

Taylor Fitz and Dan Evans at the net before their fifth-place playoff at the Mubadala World Tennis Championship. Victor Besa / The National

Taylor Fritz secured fifth place at the Mubadala World Tennis Championship on Friday after the American edged a closely-fought match against Great Britain's Dan Evans on Friday.

Fritz, the world No 23, fought back in the third-set champions tiebreak to register a 7-6, 4-6, 11-9 victory over 25th-ranked Evans at the International Tennis Centre at Zayed Sports City.

Fritz and Evans were contesting the fifth-place playoff after losing their respective quarter-finals to Canadian world No 14 Denis Shapovalov and former world No 1 Andy Murray on Thursday.

The match started with both players exchanging breaks of serve before Fritz moved into a 4-2 lead, only for Evans to peg him straight back again for 4-4. Fritz had two set points when leading 5-4 but Evans managed to hold firm as the first set ultimately went to the tiebreak, which Fritz took 7-5.

Both players were much more solid on serve in the second set, until Fritz produced his first loose game when trailing 5-4 and after earning three set points, Evans pounced to level the match.

Evans then looked to be cruising to victory when he led the championship tiebreak 8-4, but Fritz won seven of the next eight points to earn the win.

Still to come on Friday are the two semi-finals, starting with Russia's world No 5 Andrey Rublev facing 14th-ranked Denis Shapovalov on Canada, followed by the blockbuster showdown between Spanish superstar Rafael Nadal and Great Britain's former world No 1 Andy Murray.

Friday evening's match against Murray will mark Nadal's return to the court after the 20-time Grand Slam champion cut his 2021 season short in August due to a long-term foot injury.

Both players have enjoyed plenty of success at MWTC, with Murray the inaugural and two-time champion and Nadal the defending and record five-time winner.