Taylor Fritz faced adversity on Sunday at the ATP Cup, but it was how he overcame it that made the difference.
The American let slip four set points in the opening-set tie-break, but recovered to defeat Felix Auger-Aliassime 6-7(6), 6-4, 6-4 and clinch the United States' victory against Canada at Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney. John Isner had given his country a 1-0 lead with a straight-sets triumph against Brayden Schnur, who replaced Denis Shapovalov.
"We're feeling really good," Fritz said in his on-court interview. "When we played in 2020, we didn't win a match, so first win for Team USA at the ATP Cup. It feels good."
Fritz appeared in control of the first-set tie-break when he led 6/2, but watched his lead evaporate as Auger-Aliassime took control of points with his forehand. But instead of allowing his frustration to absorb him, Fritz got right back to playing the tennis that gave him the lead in the first place.
"I've been working on coming forward for a while now, but the biggest change in my game over the past couple months is my forehand has become a much bigger weapon," Fritz said. "It has created a lot more opportunities for me to get to net behind it, because I've been hurting people a lot more from the back."
Over the next two sets, Auger-Aliassime made untimely errors from the baseline and after doing so, would often back off and refrain from going for too much, which allowed Fritz to dominate with his forehand. After Felix missed a final backhand slice long, Fritz let out a big "Come on!" as the crowd cheered.
"It's been coming together and I feel like my level has gotten a lot better recently," Fritz said of his game. "I'm excited for this year."
Photo Credit: Getty Images
Isner made a quick start for the United States earlier in the day when he defeated Canada's Schnur 6-1, 6-4 in 66 minutes.
The American had to scramble at the last moment when he learned he would play Schnur instead of Shapovalov, who withdrew from the tie's No. 2 singles match due to fatigue. But the 36-year-old took care of business with a comprehensive performance in which he saved the only break point he faced.
"I surprised myself with how well I played out here," Isner said in his on-court interview. "You always work hard in the offseason, but you never really know what could happen in that first match of the year."
Isner broke twice in the first set and used his booming serve to capitalise on the advantage. The American never looked back, hitting 10 aces and winning 46 per cent of his return points in his victory inside Qudos Bank Arena.
"I actually really like this court. It's not too fast, which I prefer. It gives me a little time to swing out on my shots being so big. That helps me out a lot," Isner said. "We're off to a good start, hopefully we can keep this going."
Did You Know?
This was Isner's first win at the ATP Cup. Two years ago, he represented his country at the team event, but did not earn a victory.
The American let slip four set points in the opening-set tie-break, but recovered to defeat Felix Auger-Aliassime 6-7(6), 6-4, 6-4 and clinch the United States' victory against Canada at Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney. John Isner had given his country a 1-0 lead with a straight-sets triumph against Brayden Schnur, who replaced Denis Shapovalov.
"We're feeling really good," Fritz said in his on-court interview. "When we played in 2020, we didn't win a match, so first win for Team USA at the ATP Cup. It feels good."
Fritz appeared in control of the first-set tie-break when he led 6/2, but watched his lead evaporate as Auger-Aliassime took control of points with his forehand. But instead of allowing his frustration to absorb him, Fritz got right back to playing the tennis that gave him the lead in the first place.
"I've been working on coming forward for a while now, but the biggest change in my game over the past couple months is my forehand has become a much bigger weapon," Fritz said. "It has created a lot more opportunities for me to get to net behind it, because I've been hurting people a lot more from the back."
Over the next two sets, Auger-Aliassime made untimely errors from the baseline and after doing so, would often back off and refrain from going for too much, which allowed Fritz to dominate with his forehand. After Felix missed a final backhand slice long, Fritz let out a big "Come on!" as the crowd cheered.
"It's been coming together and I feel like my level has gotten a lot better recently," Fritz said of his game. "I'm excited for this year."
Photo Credit: Getty Images
Isner made a quick start for the United States earlier in the day when he defeated Canada's Schnur 6-1, 6-4 in 66 minutes.
The American had to scramble at the last moment when he learned he would play Schnur instead of Shapovalov, who withdrew from the tie's No. 2 singles match due to fatigue. But the 36-year-old took care of business with a comprehensive performance in which he saved the only break point he faced.
"I surprised myself with how well I played out here," Isner said in his on-court interview. "You always work hard in the offseason, but you never really know what could happen in that first match of the year."
Isner broke twice in the first set and used his booming serve to capitalise on the advantage. The American never looked back, hitting 10 aces and winning 46 per cent of his return points in his victory inside Qudos Bank Arena.
"I actually really like this court. It's not too fast, which I prefer. It gives me a little time to swing out on my shots being so big. That helps me out a lot," Isner said. "We're off to a good start, hopefully we can keep this going."
Did You Know?
This was Isner's first win at the ATP Cup. Two years ago, he represented his country at the team event, but did not earn a victory.