In a thrilling Australian Open encounter, 12th seed Taylor Fritz ousted last year's runner-up Stefanos Tsitsipas, securing a spot in the quarterfinals. Fritz's impressive performance in a four-set battle has set the stage for a highly anticipated clash against defending champion Novak Djokovic.
Taylor Fritz eliminated Stefanos Tsitsipas from the Australian Open on Sunday, securing a spot in the quarterfinals where he will face defending champion Novak Djokovic. The 12th-seeded American outplayed last year's runner-up, Tsitsipas, in a match that lasted just over three hours. Despite a closely contested opening two sets, Fritz elevated his game to defeat the Greek seventh seed 7-6 (7/3), 5-7, 6-3, 6-3.
Taylor Fritz scores his first top-10 win at a Slam at last, beating last year’s finalist Stefanos Tsitsipas in four.
Fritz, the only American man to reach even the fourth round here this year, will face #1 Novak Djokovic in the quarterfinals.pic.twitter.com/xHbu1SbyFX
Fritz credited his success to "trusting my shots" and highlighted his consistent serving throughout the match. While acknowledging his 0-8 head-to-head record against Djokovic, Fritz expressed confidence in his improved performance and eagerly anticipated the upcoming clash with the top seed.
The first set, marked by unbroken serves, was decided in a tie-break that saw Fritz take a lead he maintained. In the second set, Tsitsipas broke in the 11th game to claim a 7-5 victory. However, Fritz secured crucial breaks in both the third and fourth sets, winning the last four games to seal his triumph.
"The times I have played him I haven't brought my best level and you need to if you are going to complete with someone like Djokovic," he said.
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