America’s Taylor Fritz is all set to take on Aussie star, Alex de Minaur in the third group stage match at the ATP Finals. Just before the start of this epic contest, we saw both players share a few words about each other. Fritz said, “I played Demon in the second match of this year (at the United Cup) and personally, I thought it was one of the highest levels of tennis that I’ve ever seen on the other side of the court.” Even De Minaur heaped praise on the American earlier, by saying, “Taylor Fritz is powerful, cool under pressure, and has a great serve. He has a lot of firepower about him. He has shown what he is capable of this year.” Who has the edge though in this blockbuster clash in Turin?

Taylor Fritz vs Alex de Minaur: Preview

Taylor Fritz has had a decent outing in the 2024 season. He has won two titles this season (Delray Beach Open and the Eastbourne International). Apart from that, he has also reached the finals of the Bavarian Internation and the US Open. He started his campaign at the ATP Finals with a win against Daniil Medvedev, but he faced defeat at the hands of Jannik Sinner in the second group stage match. Sinner defeated Fritz by 6-4,6-4!

On the other hand, Alex de Minaur has also won two titles this season. His first title triumph came at the Mexican Open, where he defeated Casper Ruud by 6-4,6-4 in the final. Then the second one came at the s-Hertogenbosch. However, in Turin, he has looked a bit shaky as of now. De Minaur has already lost two matches here! His first defeat came against Jannik Sinner and the second one came against Daniil Medvedev. As things stand as of now, he not only needs to beat Taylor Fritz by straight sets but he will also have to keep a keen eye on Jannik Sinner’s match against Medvedev (if Sinner beats Medvedev in straight sets, only then De Minaur will have a chance to qualify for the SF.)

Fritz vs De Minaur: Head-to-Head

Taylor Fritz and Alex de Minaur have faced each other eight times in their careers. Interestingly, the Aussie currently leads the H2H with 5 victories.

• 2024 United Cup Round Robin: De Minaur 6-4,6-2.
• 2023 ATP Masters 1000 Canada R16: De Minaur 7-6(7),4-6,6-1.
• 2022 Eastbourne SF: Fritz 6-1,6(5)-7,6-3.
• 2022 ATP Masters 1000 Indian Wells R16: Fritz 3-6,6-4,7-6(5).
• 2021 US Open R128: Fritz 7-6(4),6-2,1-6,6-4.
• 2019 Basel R16: De Minaur 6-3,6-3.
• 2019 Atlanta Final: De Minaur 6-3,7-6(2).
• 2018 Next Gen ATP Finals Round Robin: De Minaur 4-3(8),4-1,4-2.

Prediction: Fritz to win this match in three sets

This is a high-stakes match, both these players need to bring out their A-game to proceed into the SF in Turin. Taylor Fritz has been very impressive on the hard courts this season and this is one of the main reasons for giving him a slight edge in this contest. This is Fritz’s second appearance at the ATP Finals, on the other hand, De Minaur earned his place in Turin after Novak Djokovic’s withdrawal from the mega event. This is Alex de Minaur’s first appearance in this tournament, so considering all these factors we’re keeping the American as the favorite to win this match.

Taylor Fritz (5) currently has a win-loss record of 48-21, whereas, Alex de Minaur (9) has a win-loss record of 48-19. So, margins are quite thin over here. Fritz will be looking forward to dominating the match from the baseline, but he needs to be a bit aware of De Minaur’s incredible speed. Now, if we take a closer look at their playing styles, Alex de Minaur is known for his speed and agility on the court. He can retrieve seemingly impossible balls and hit winners from defensive positions or force opponents to commit mistakes. His baseline game suits that of a counterpunch as the Aussie star is often seen retrieving balls and slowly constructing points during his matches.

Apart from that, he’s also known to inject sudden pace into rallies. Alex de Minaur’s forehand is comparatively better than his backhand on the offensive side. However, his main weakness is his serve! On the other hand, Taylor Fritz who’s basically an offensive baseliner is known for his incredible serves. He has hit a total of 687 aces this season and if we look at his numbers in Turin, Fritz has hit 16 aces in his two matches so far, but he hasn’t committed any double faults as of now.

Apart from that his powerful groundstrokes also have the ability to force errors out of his opponents. His most consistent and powerful stroke is his forehand and his backhand is generally flatter and lower bouncing. Taylor Fritz also has a good topspin lob! Can these weapons help him seal the victory against the Aussie? Looks, more likely at the moment!