Taylor Fritz defeated Nick Kyrgios in a fast-paced match 6-3, 6-2 in round two. Atlanta champion Nick looked visibly tired during the match. Fritz took total control from the beginning and won the match in just 51 minutes.
Nick Kyrgios looked fatigued against his match against Hubert Hurkacz in Montreal as well. However, today fatigue came much sooner.
He double-faulted and played a bad drop shot in the sixth game at 2-3. Those were clear signs that he lacked physical strength and focus.
“Definitely can feel my tank getting to the end, and, you know, I have just gotta keep going, gotta keep going. Only two events left.” – Nick said after his 1st round win.
Taylor Fritz won the first set in 24 minutes during which he hit 12 winners and 3 unforced errors. During the break, a trainer checked Kyrgios’s left knee.
He also got a warning from the chair umpire for his use of profanity. But, by now he was already dispirited.
Reactions from Taylor Fritz after the match
In the 2nd set at 30-30, Nick played an excellent deep cross-court forehand that first appeared to be a drop shot. Taylor himself struck a cross-court forehand winner to win the point.
Kyrgios double-faulted at 30-40 and Taylor broke his serve. Fritz held his serve quickly the next game to command control. Nick didn’t threaten much afterward and Taylor served out to win.
https://twitter.com/TennisTV/status/1560000457640185856?s=20&t=a4GmO7fCAnwmGl-3rQeNmg
“I think the most important thing for me going out there was to serve pretty well and take care of my serve,” said Fritz, “Because if he kind of steals a break from you, then he’s really good at just holding serve, and he’s going to kind of run away with it.”
Taylor Fritz now plays sixth-seeded Andrey Rublev whom he leads in H2H 3-2.
“I feel like I need to try and beat him to the punch as much as possible,” said Fritz. “I can’t be the one being passive, letting him kind of move me around the court, work me around the court. I just need to kind of focus on myself, play my game and be aggressive.”
