US Open runner-up Fritz reaches another big final at ATP Finals. The last US champion was Sampras

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

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.

The last American to win the elite eight-man event was Pete Sampras, who beat Andre Agassi in 1999.

“I have believed that I belong, that I’m one of the best players. It’s not results-based. It’s more I can feel how I’m playing,” Fritz said. “This week is huge.”

Fritz also reached the semifinals of the Shanghai Masters last month, losing to Novak Djokovic.

“I trust my game and I trust my level and I don’t feel nearly as uncomfortable in these situations anymore because I’ve been playing the top guys at big events a lot lately,” Fritz said. “I’m getting more comfortable in the moment. I’m really, really confident in my game.”

Fritz became the first American finalist since James Blake lost the 2006 final to Roger Federer.

If Fritz wins the trophy, it will mark an American sweep of the season-ending events after Coco Gauff won the WTA Finals last week.

In Sunday’s final, Fritz will face top-ranked Jannik Sinner — the player he lost to in the U.S. Open final — or Casper Ruud, who were playing later.

Sinner also beat Fritz in straight sets in the group stage this week.

Fritz's run in New York made him the first American man to reach a Grand Slam singles final in 15 years. He's playing at the ATP Finals for the second time. On debut two years ago, he beat Rafael Nadal in his opener and made it to the semifinals, losing to Djokovic.

“It’s awesome to come back and already go a step further,” Fritz said. “I’m all about always trying to do better than the year before.”

At the start of the week, Fritz told The Associated Press in an interview that his “career has always been a very steady progression and just improving a little bit each year.”

It was Fritz’s fourth consecutive victory over Zverev, who replaced Carlos Alcaraz at No. 2 in the rankings this week.

“He’s an uncomfortable player for me.” Zverev said. “It’s no secret.”

Fritz, who is No. 5, also beat Zverev at Wimbledon and the U.S. Open, plus the Laver Cup.

Fritz is already assured of finishing the year in the top five for the first time and he’ll rise to No. 4 on Monday if Ruud doesn’t win the title.

Zverev has seen Fritz’s improvement up close — especially on one key stroke: "His forehand used to break down quite a lot. His forehand was always fast, very aggressive, but it was very, very shaky in important moments. He could hit a winner, but he could hit the fence as well. I feel like the ratio is a lot more towards winners now.”

It was a matchup of big servers between the 6-foot-5 (1.96-meter) Fritz and the 6-foot-6 (1.98-meter) Zverev, and when Fritz broke Zverev for 4-2 in the first set, it marked the first time that Zverev lost a service game in four matches in Turin.

Eventually, though, the match turned into a physical duel from the baseline. Fritz rallied from 0-40 and held his serve for 3-2 in the third after a nine-minute game full of long rallies – winning one such exchange that lasted 30 strokes.

Fritz was then under pressure one service game after another but somehow managed to keep holding.

Fritz got ahead early in the tiebreaker and finished Zverev off with an audacious inside-out forehand winner on his first match point.

“I lose at least one of those (break) points and that’s probably it,” Fritz said. “That’s how it kind of goes with playing Sascha. Whoever takes their chances between the two of us is going to win the match just because you don’t get too many and we’re both big servers.”

Fritz finished with 15 aces to Zverev's 10 in a match that last 2 hours, 20 minutes.

Zverev, the finals champion in 2018 and 2021, entered the semifinals on an eight-match winning streak after taking the Paris Masters.

“I felt like statistically and shot-wise, my level maybe was even higher than his until the important moments. That’s where I kind of blew it,” Zverev said. “This one will hurt more than the other few.”

AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis

Taylor Fritz of the United States celebrates after winning the ATP World Tour Finals semifinal tennis match against Germany's Alexander Zverevat at the Inalpi Arena in Turin, Italy, Saturday, November 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)

Taylor Fritz of the United States celebrates after winning the ATP World Tour Finals semifinal tennis match against Germany's Alexander Zverevat at the Inalpi Arena in Turin, Italy, Saturday, November 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)

Taylor Fritz of the United States celebrates after winning the ATP World Tour Finals semifinal tennis match against Germany's Alexander Zverevat at the Inalpi Arena in Turin, Italy, Saturday, November 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)

Taylor Fritz of the United States reacts during a semifinal tennis match against Germany's Alexander Zverev at the ATP World Tour Finals at the Inalpi Arena in Turin, Italy, Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)

Taylor Fritz of the United States reacts during a semifinal tennis match against Germany's Alexander Zverev at the ATP World Tour Finals at the Inalpi Arena in Turin, Italy, Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)

Germany's Alexander Zverev reacts during the semifinal tennis match against Taylor Fritz of the United States at the ATP World Tour Finals at the Inalpi Arena in Turin, Italy, Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)

Germany's Alexander Zverev returns to Taylor Fritz of the United States during their semifinal tennis match of the ATP World Tour Finals at the Inalpi Arena in Turin, Italy, Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)

Germany's Alexander Zverev watches a video review during the semifinal tennis match against Taylor Fritz of the United States at the ATP World Tour Finals at the Inalpi Arena in Turin, Italy, Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)

Germany's Alexander Zverev returns to Taylor Fritz of the United States during their semifinal tennis match of the ATP World Tour Finals at the Inalpi Arena in Turin, Italy, Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)

Taylor Fritz of the United States returns to Germany's Alexander Zverev during their semifinal tennis match of the ATP World Tour Finals at the Inalpi Arena in Turin, Italy, Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)

Taylor Fritz of the United States reacts during a semifinal tennis match against Germany's Alexander Zverev at the ATP World Tour Finals at the Inalpi Arena in Turin, Italy, Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)

McDonald's is investing $100 million to bring customers back to stores after an outbreak of E. coli food poisoning tied to onions on the fast-food giant's Quarter Pounder hamburgers.

The investments include $65 million that will go directly to the hardest-hit franchises, the company said.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has said that slivered onions on the Quarter Pounders were the likely source of the E. coli. Taylor Farms in California recalled onions potentially linked to the outbreak.

Colorado reported at least 30 cases; Montana reported 19; Nebraska, 13; and New Mexico, 10. The illnesses were reported between Sept. 12 and Oct. 21. At least 104 people got sick and 34 were hospitalized, according to federal health officials. One person died in Colorado and four people developed a potentially life-threatening kidney disease complication.

The Food and Drug Administration has said that “there does not appear to be a continued food safety concern related to this outbreak at McDonald’s restaurants.”

But the outbreak hurt the company's sales.

Quarter Pounders were removed from menus in several states in the early days of the outbreak. McDonald’s identified an alternate supplier for the 900 restaurants that temporarily stopped serving the burgers with onions. Over the past week, McDonald's resumed selling Quarter Pounders with slivered onions nationwide.

FILE - A sign at a McDonald's restaurant is displayed on April 29, 2024, in Albany, Ore. (AP Photo/Jenny Kane, File)

FILE- In this March 6, 2018, file photo, a McDonald's Quarter Pounder, left, and Double Quarter Pound burger is shown in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart, File)