By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Sunday October 9, 2022
Taylor Fritz edged Frances Tiafoe in two tiebreaks to claim his third title of 2022.
Photo Source TTV
What a difference a week makes.
Taylor Fritz was in quarantine in Seoul all last week, but when the American got free and was able to jump a flight to Tokyo at the last minute, he shook off his fatigue and got back to what he has been doing all season long: winning.
The American put forth another stunning performance at the Rakuten Open in Tokyo this week, claiming his third title of the season with a 7-6(3), 7-6(2) victory over Frances Tiafoe and locking up a Top-10 debut in next week’s ATP rankings.
"It just feels good to kind of clutch up and do something big like this,” Fritz said after the match, referring to his week spent in quarantine in Seoul, and his speedy recovery, which moves him ahead of Felix Auger-Aliassime and into seventh in the Race to Turin standings.
“[It's] crazy, I don’t even think it’s set in just how fast the last four or five days have been,” Fritz said in an on-court interview with Lee Goodall after the final. “It’s so crazy, and I couldn’t have written it any better. It’s exactly what I needed for the Race, for my ranking, to kind of put me in a good position for the end of the year, so it’s amazing.”
The 24-year-old southern California native set the tone early in the season by winning his first Masters title at Indian Wells, defeating Rafael Nadal in the final, and since then he has proceeded to win two more titles and reach his first Grand Slam quarterfinal (at Wimbledon).
On Sunday night in Tokyo beneath the roof due to inclement weather, Fritz beat back the best that Tiafoe had to offer, ending his compatriot’s run of 13 consecutive successful tiebreaks and keeping him at bay with near perfect serving, particularly in a second set that saw him win all but five of his service points.
Fritz, who will rise to No.8 in Monday’s rankings, improves to 41-17 on the season and stretches his winning streak against Tiafoe to five.
Tiafoe falls to 31-21 on the season, but will rise to a career-high ranking of 17 on Monday
It was a strong performance from Tiafoe, despite the defeat. In a high quality affair, he was exceptional under pressure, saving seven of eight break points in the one hour and 56-minute contest.