Fritz eyes return to type at US Open
American has reached the quarter-finals at three of the previous 4 majors
August 24, 2024
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Taylor Fritz’s latest run of Grand Slam success started ultimately 12 months’s US Open.
By Vishakha Khandelwal
Taylor Fritz is hoping {that a} return to the Grand Slam stage might be simply the catalyst he must shrug of back-to-back early defeats on the ATP Masters 1000 occasions in Canada and Cincinnati.
Making his ninth primary draw look on the US Open, Fritz is happy to be again in New York and the Grand Slam stage, on which he has loved constant success this 12 months, reaching quarter-finals on the Australian Open and Wimbledon and the fourth spherical of Roland Garros.
The California native and up to date winner of the double bronze medal on the Paris Olympics (with Tommy Paul) is at present the highest-ranked American within the PIF ATP Rankings, sitting at No. 12. Regardless of profitable only one match throughout Montreal and Cincinnati with defeats to compatriots Brandon Nakashima and Sebastian Korda, Fritz is “hoping to have a giant week” on the US Open.
“Clearly actually excited to be right here. It is, like, the most important week for the U.S. gamers,” mentioned final 12 months’s US Open quarter-finalist throughout his pre-tournament press convention Friday.
“Yeah, it was my first slam, quarter-final right here. It is only a good feeling. I believe final 12 months I used to be coming in right here, simply felt like I simply wanted a consequence at a slam, as a result of the slam outcomes had been simply actually poor final 12 months. So I felt like I wanted a very good consequence.
“This 12 months, the slam outcomes have been fairly strong. I really feel like I have been performing properly on the slams, taking part in three-out-of-five units.
“I am feeling good, I am feeling, I suppose, fairly assured about simply taking part in within the huge tournaments proper now.”
Fritz’s run to the quarter-final final 12 months was halted by the eventual champion Novak Djokovic who claimed a file twenty fourth Grand Slam singles title on the Arthur Ashe Stadium.
“It is loopy to win that many, and be that constantly simply good,” Fritz mentioned. “Like your simply baseline common degree simply must be so a lot better than everybody else’s. It speaks to how a lot better somebody is than everybody else (smiling). As a result of there are such a lot of folks simply attempting to get that one, attempting to get one or two, a pair.
“It is superb, and clearly the self-discipline all year long is to by no means be glad and at all times need extra can also be simply extraordinarily spectacular in itself,” he mentioned in regards to the four-time US Open champion.
The previous Prime 5 participant is seeded to face No. 8 seed Norwegian Casper Ruud within the quarter-finals. He’s additionally drawn to play 2021 Wimbledon finalist Matteo Berrettini within the second spherical.
Fritz opens his US Open marketing campaign in opposition to Argentine Camilo Ugo Carabelli on Monday.