Taylor Fritz, John Isner Highlight 6 American Men Into 3rd Round At Wimbledon

SportsMoney Taylor Fritz, John Isner Highlight 6 American Men Into 3rd Round At Wimbledon Adam Zagoria Contributor Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own. I’m a basketball and tennis insider New! Follow this author to improve your content experience. Got it! Jun 30, 2022, 09:07am EDT | Share to Facebook Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin Taylor Fritz of the US returns to Britain’s Alastair Gray in a second round men’s single match on .

. . [+] day four of the Wimbledon tennis championships in London, Thursday, June 30, 2022.

(AP Photo/Alastair Grant) ASSOCIATED PRESS Toward the end of his second-set tiebreak with British wild card Alastair Gray on Thursday, 6-foot-5 Taylor Fritz dove fully extended to a return a volley put away. Gray had already turned his back to Fritz, thinking he had hit a winner. But as the crowd roared, Gray turned to realize that Fritz had gotten to the ball in time and poked a winner into the open court.

Fritz, the No. 11 seed and San Diego native, won the tiebreak on the point and went on to beat Gray, 6-3, 7-6(3), 6-3, to advance to the third round at Wimbledon for the second straight year. “It was a huge point and I hit the passing shot, saw he was there, saw where it came off his racquet and it was going to bounce a bit because he hit it from so high up, and I was just like, ‘I think I have the reach if I just fully dive at it,’” Fritz told ESPN’s Jeremy Schaap after the match.

“I’m a pretty long guy, so I just dove and just tried to get the racquet on the strings because I knew I just had to hit it and get it over the net. So pretty crazy. ” Fritz is one of six American men into the third round along with No.

20 John Isner, who beat three-time Grand Slam champion Andy Murray for the first time in nine meetings on Wednesday, No. 23 Frances Tiafoe, No. 30 Tommy Paul, Stevie Johnson and the winner between Jack Sock and Maxime Cressy.

No. 29 Jenson Brooksby and fellow Americans Brandon Nakashima and Mackenzie McDonald were also slated to play their second-round matches Thursday. MORE FOR YOU WWE Extreme Rules 2021 Results: Winners, News And Notes As Roman Reigns Beats The Demon The World’s Highest-Paid Soccer Players 2021: Manchester United’s Cristiano Ronaldo Reclaims Top Spot From PSG’s Lionel Messi The Good, Bad And Ugly From The Green Bay Packers’ Win Over The San Francisco 49ers “Great first week for USA men,” ESPN’s Patrick McEnroe said by text from Wimbledon.

“We have seen this before. The question now is can anyone go deep into Week 2?” Said ESPN’s Rennae Stubbs: “I think it’s fantastic and success breeds success. The men are really elevating each other and i think there is a realistic chance we will see an American in the semis.

” No American man has won a major title since Andy Roddick at the 2003 U. S. Open, and Roddick was also the last American man to reach the Wimbledon final, losing three to Roger Federer, most recently in 2009 McEnroe said Fritz, who has never been past the fourth round at a major ,has the best chance for a deep run.

Fritz is coming off winning the title on grass at Eastbourne, where he beat Cressy in three sets in the final. “Last year I played my third round match 20 days after knee surgery so I feel like my body was extremely beat up and I felt awful,” Fritz said of his Wimbledon in 20221. “Also seedings were different so I had a really tough match as well.

“So this year coming in healthy and coming through in straight-set matches, my body is feeling good and I just have a much better opportunity to go further. ” The draw has also opened up for him because last year’s runner-up Matteo Berrettini, the No. 8 seed, and 2017 runner-up Marin Cilic both withdrew with Covid, while No.

6 Felix Auger-Aliassime is also out. Fritz next faces Alex Molcan of Slovakia and could potentially face Rafael Nadal in the quarters. Still, Fritz is trying not to look too far ahead.

“You know, I just need to take it one match at a time and try not to look too far in the draw,” he said. “I know that certain parts near me have kind of opened up a little bit. If I look at the wh0le draw and think, ‘Oh, I can make it to the quarters, semis, whatever,’ then that’s only going to make me more nervous in the upcoming matches so it’s just one at a time.

” John Isner of the US shakes hands with Britain’s Andy Murray after defeating him in their singles . . .

[+] tennis match on day three of the Wimbledon tennis championships in London, Wednesday, June 29, 2022. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant) ASSOCIATED PRESS Isner, meantime, is 37 and has hinted that this might be his last Wimbledon. He was never broken against Murray and won for the first time in nine meetings, spoiling a potential run for the local favorite.

“To play as well as I did against on of our greatest players ever, Andy Murray, is a huge accomplishment for me,” he said on court. “He’s a massive inspiration to each one of us in the locker room and we’re so lucky to still have him around. ” Isner, who reached the semifinals in 2018, will now have to face No.

10 Jannik Sinner on Friday. “This event is always super special to every one of us on tour. .

. ” Isner said. “Hopefully I can get back on this court and see what I can do.

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