Taylor Fritz displayed impressive resilience to overcome a sluggish start and ultimately dominate eighth-seeded Casper Ruud 3-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-2 on Sunday. This victory propels Fritz into the US Open 2024 quarterfinals for the second consecutive year, setting him up for a potential matchup against either fellow American Brandon Nakashima or German fourth seed Alexander Zverev.
Ruud began the match in commanding fashion, securing a 5-3 lead before taking the first set with a love hold. However, Fritz started to find his rhythm against Ruud’s serve in the second set. He capitalized on a crucial moment when the Norwegian double-faulted on set point, allowing Fritz to level the match. With the humid New York weather playing a factor, Ruud changed into dry clothes and shoes before the third set but struggled to regain his form. A disastrous service game that culminated in a backhand into the net put him down 2-0 in the third set, and Fritz, seeded 12th, ultimately sealed the set with an ace.
Maintaining his momentum, Fritz continued to apply pressure in the fourth set. He punctuated his victory with a 24th ace on match point, securing the win. This marks Fritz’s first victory in three encounters against Ruud, who had triumphed in a tight three-setter at the ATP Finals in 2022 and the French Open earlier this year.
Despite the head-to-head history, Fritz remained focused on the task at hand, stating, “I didn’t think too much about the head-to-head before the match. One meeting was 7-6 in the third, the next was this year at the French and he’s pretty good on clay, so I didn’t think too much about that. I just did a really good job to stay with it.”
Last year, Fritz fell to eventual champion Novak Djokovic in straight sets in the quarterfinals. However, with Djokovic and third seed Carlos Alcaraz out of the competition this year, the opportunity for Fritz to claim his first Grand Slam title is tantalizingly within reach. Despite the tempting prospect, Fritz remains grounded, stating, “I came into the tournament in 2022 saying I thought I could win it and I lost in the first round. So I think it’s good to just take it one match at a time and focus on the person in front of you.”
