Fritz takes important step towards Turin with opening win in Paris
Taylor Fritz stayed ahead of the chasing pack of Nitto ATP Finals contenders at the Rolex Paris Masters Tuesday with a 7-6(4), 6-2 win over Australian Aleksandar Vukic.
With fellow Turin contenders Ben Shelton, Felix Auger-Aliassime and Daniil Medvedev also all claiming wins Tuesday, Fritz ensured that he remained next in line to qualify at fifth in the PIF ATP Live Race to Turin.
The fourth-seeded American, who fell to Jannik Sinner in the title match of the season finale last year, claimed his 52nd win of the season after firing 12 aces and clubbing 10 forehand winners.
“It was a tough match,” Fritz said. “I thought that he served really well in the first set. I looked at the percentage after the set. I was curious. It was 72 per cent. But that was after the tie-break. He missed, I think, three first serves in the tie-break or so up until that.
“He was probably serving 80 per cent first serves, hitting spots on it. He’s got a great first serve. So, I did well to just keep holding serve and play a good tie-break, and then I found the breaks in the second set.”
The 2024 US Open finalist awaits the winner of 13th seed Alexander Bublik and Frenchman Corentin Moutet in the third round.
“Either way, it’s gonna be a very tricky match,” Fritz said. “Both of them do a lot of shots that make you uncomfortable, I’d say, especially Moutet, but Bublik as well, the drop shots, both of them. It’s a lot of craziness going on. So, I have to be very mentally ready for that match.”
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