By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Wednesday January 24, 2024
Taylor Fritz performed some completely unbelievable tennis in his quarterfinal with Novak Djokovic on the Australian Open. The American No.1 famously saved the primary 15 break factors he confronted in opposition to the 24-time Slam champion, in any case. And but, it was removed from being sufficient to essentially threaten the 10-time Australian Open champion.
That is the truth that Fritz needed to face on Tuesday evening in Melbourne, after falling to Djokovic in 4 units to fall to 0-9 lifetime in opposition to the residing legend.
Despite the disappointing numbers, Fritz noticed progress in his efficiency, and leaves the 2024 Australian Open with some hope that he might someday rating a win over Djokovic.
“I look at [9-0] and I see, okay, there’s only one match [among them] where I really feel like I played well,” Fritz mentioned, including that these days he’s a way more full participant.
“I feel like I’m a better player, he said. “Yeah, the record sounds very discouraging, but I’m constantly improving as a player. I know that if I play the way that I played the first two sets, if I bring that level for five sets, then, you know, it’s possible.”
Fritz’s largest remorse from the 7-6(3), 4-6, 6-2, 6-3 loss? Not serving higher because the match wore on.
“I really needed my serve to go for me in the third and the fourth, and I just had some games where I’d make first serves, but the spots on the serves would be awful,” the 26-year-old mentioned. “It can’t be like that against him. He’ll just return it.”
Fritz mentioned studying to deal with the draining nature of such a bodily match is one other factor he’ll need to work on. The first two units alone have been shut to 2 and a half hours.
Taylor Fritz tries to elucidate what it’s prefer to play a 10-year older Novak Djokovic in a Bo5 match in a grand slam. The circumstances change however the final result is at all times the identical. Novak Djokovic is kind of merely unbelievable anyway you have a look at it. #AusOpen pic.twitter.com/3j0uM1Px2i
— Dandan Gallagher (@dandangallagher) January 23, 2024
“It was two sets, but I’ve played [what felt like] four sets in that time – It was two-and-a-half hours of really physical, like, really physical tennis,” he mentioned.
“It’s tough to prepare for something like that, especially when I’ve had an offseason with just injuries and trying to get healthy and haven’t really been able to put as much time as I wanted to into just the workload on the court and in the gym,” Fritz mentioned.
As far because the type of Djokovic goes, Fritz mentioned that the Serbian legend could also be 36 however he’s simply as deadly as ever in each sense of the phrase.
“From what I can recall from the first times we’ve played, to me, I think he’s just as good as ever,” he mentioned.
Source: www.tennisnow.com