Fritz Fires Past Wawrinka
Taylor Fritz earned his 50th ATP Masters 1000 win on Wednesday when he overcame former champion Stan Wawrinka 7-6(10), 6-2 at the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters to reach the third round.
In a tale of two sets, the American saved five set points in a mammoth opener to move ahead, before he stepped up his intensity and level in the second set to triumph after one hour and 39 minutes.
Fritz, who saved two set points on serve at 5-6 and three more in the first-set tie-break, struck 25 winners and committed just seven unforced errors to earn his 21st tour-level win of the season.
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The eighth seed reached the quarter-finals in the Principality last year and will aim to match that feat when he takes on Jiri Lehecka after the Czech downed 2022 semi-finalist Grigor Dimitrov 7-6(4), 6-4.
Fritz arrives in Monte-Carlo off the back of a run to the quarter-finals in Miami. He lifted his maiden ATP Masters 1000 trophy in Indian Wells in 2021.
Wawrinka was making his 13th appearance at the clay-court event, with his best result a run to the title in 2014.