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’s the actuality 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.
Regardless of 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 have a look at [9-0] and I see, okay, there’s just one match [among them] the place I actually really feel like I performed effectively,” Fritz mentioned, including that these days he’s a way more full participant.
“I really feel like I am a greater participant, he mentioned. “Yeah, the report sounds very discouraging, however I am always enhancing as a participant. I do know that if I play the best way that I performed the primary two units, if I carry that degree for 5 units, then, , it is attainable.”
Fritz’s greatest remorse from the 7-6(3), 4-6, 6-2, 6-3 loss? Not serving higher because the match wore on.
“I actually wanted my serve to go for me within the third and the fourth, and I simply had some video games the place I might make first serves, however the spots on the serves can be terrible,” the 26-year-old mentioned. “It may possibly’t be like that in opposition to him. He’ll simply 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 primary two units alone had been shut to 2 and a half hours.
Taylor Fritz tries to clarify what it’s wish to play a 10-year older Novak Djokovic in a Bo5 match in a grand slam. The circumstances change however the end result is all the time the identical. Novak Djokovic is sort of merely unbelievable anyway you have a look at it. #AusOpen pic.twitter.com/3j0uM1Px2i
— Dandan Gallagher (@dandangallagher) January 23, 2024
“It was two units, however I’ve performed [what felt like] 4 units in that point – It was two-and-a-half hours of actually bodily, like, actually bodily tennis,” he mentioned.
“It is powerful to organize for one thing like that, particularly once I’ve had an offseason with simply accidents and attempting to get wholesome and have not actually been in a position to put as a lot time as I needed to into simply the workload on the court docket and within the gymnasium,” Fritz mentioned.
So far as 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 primary instances we have performed, to me, I believe he is simply nearly as good as ever,” he mentioned.