By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Thursday June 27, 2024
Taylor Fritz moved into the final four at Eastbourne with a straight-sets win over Shang Juncheng.
Photo Source: TTV
By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Thursday June 27, 2024
2019 and 2022 Eastbourne champion Taylor Fritz is back in the semifinals.
The 26-year-old edged Chinese teenager Shang Juncheng on a windy afternoon at the Rothesay International to set a semifinal with Aleksandar Vukic, 7-6(5), 7-6(5).
Vukic defeated Yoshihito Nishioka 6-3, 3-6, 7-6(5) on Thursday – Fritz defeated the Aussie in their only previous meeting, last year at Atlanta.
Fritz improves to 12-4 lifetime at Eastbourne. He will bid to become the first player to ever win three titles at the event this weekend.
The hard-serving American had his hands full with 19-year-old Shang, but played the big points better to prevail in one hour and 48 minutes.
“He played really well,” Fritz said. “With the wind and everything, I thought it was a very miserable match to play, honestly.”
Fritz cracked 20 aces and won 50 of 54 first-serve points against Shang. The 13th-ranked American saved all four break points he faced.
“I definitely feel well here,” Fritz said. “It’s tough to take too much from today, you are never going to really feel great hitting the ball when it is as windy as it was, but if I can serve as well as I served today, even in this wind, I’m pretty happy about that.”
Fritz is one of six players to own two titles on the Eastbourne grass, along with Jonas Bjorkman, Richard Gasquet, Ivo Karlovic, Feliciano Lopez and Greg Rusedski. He improves to 29-12 overall on the season and will regain the top ranking among American men ahead of Wimbledon, leapfrogging Tommy Paul.
Australia’s Max Purcell will face Britiwh wild card Billy Harris in the lower half semifinal, with Fritz the only seeded player remaining in the tournament.