By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Saturday June 25, 2022
Taylor Fritz edged Maxime Cressy in a third-set breaker for his second Eastbourne title.
Photo Source: Tennis TV
Taylor Fritz was struggling to find his form on grass prior to this week, but a return to familiar stomping grounds at Eastbourne as set the 24-year-old American right.
Fritz powered past compatriot Maxime Cressy on Saturday for his third career title – and second at Eastbourne – 6-2, 6-7(4), 7-6(4).
The 2019 and 2022 Eastbourne champion improves to 10-3 lifetime at the event.
“This is the place is where I won my first title and when I got here, the first day, I already felt like I was playing so much better than I was before, just being here so this place always just has a really special special spot in my heart,” Fritz told the crowd after his triumph.
Fritz, who became the first American to win the title at Indian Wells since Andre Agassi in 2001 earlier this season, has won multiple titles in the same season for the first time in his career.
He cracked 17 aces and dropped just ten points on serve across the two hour and 17-minute contest.
“My grass court season wasn't going great before I came here,” Fritz said. “So you know, I'm a really confidence-based player. So it just feels great to have this confidence. I played really well all week, going into Wimbledon, I feel good.”
Fritz finished the win with 47 winners and six unforced errors. Cressy, who has yet to win an ATP title, hit 38 winners against 22 unforced errors.
Cressy will crack the ATP's Top-50 on Monday, at No.45.
“First off just congrats to Maxime,” Fritz said, “I played about as well as I could possibly play today and it still came down to just the final couple of points. So it really couldn't have been much closer and he beat a lot of really good players this week. And you know, he's gonna gonna win a title soon for sure. So congrats to him on a great week."
Fritz, the No.11 seed at Wimbledon, will face Lorenzo Musetti in round 1. Cressy will face sixth-seeded Felix Auger-Aliassime in his first round.