After getting off to a flying start in the ATP Finals, Taylor Fritz has failed to maintain the winning momentum. He overcame the challenge of Daniil Medvedev in the first match but then the American faced World No.1 Jannik Sinner. He seemed helpless against the Italian. His continued lack of consistency has now sparked a harsh reaction from a former ATP pro who thinks it’s high time for Fritz to step up.

When he began his campaign in Turin on Sunday, Fritz seemed very confident. His shots stunned Medvedev. The Russian was left frustrated, as the American tennis sensation took him down with a comfortable scoreline of 6-4, 6-3 in straight sets. With the way he played against Medvedev, many would have backed Fritz against Jannik Sinner as well. However, things didn’t turn out as expected. Playing against the four-time Grand Slam Champion, Fritz erred with his shot selection and overall movement, as he eventually lost 4-6, 4-6 in straight sets.

Reflecting on Fritz’s dip in performance, Italian legend Adriano Panatta revealed his honest thoughts on what could be the reason behind his fluctuating run at the ATP Finals. In an interaction with TuttoSport, dated November 13th, he said, “Look at Fritz. You play well and you play well and you play well and then you get to the final, you catch Sinner and you lose. Do you know what Fritz has?” Continuing further, he added, “he is a bit lazy when he moves from the baseline, he relies too much on his arm and doesn’t position his legs well.”

While Panatta did acknowledge that Fritz was getting better while defending, he emphasized that it was not enough. “He has improved in defense, now he covers better but he is also crooked and stiff with his arm,” the Italian veteran remarked. Seems like Fritz will have to rework his tactics and movement to get better against top-ranked players like Sinner. Going against Alex de Minaur in his next match on Thursday, he will have a lot to prove.

Taylor Fritz needs to show his A-Game against Alex de Minaur

Fritz will be under pressure when playing Minaur on Thursday. Why? It’s because of the head-to-head tally tilting in favor of the Australian. Out of the eight matches played between them so far, Alex de Minaur is currently leading 5-3. What’s even more concerning is that is their last meeting also saw Minaur having an upper hand over Fritz. During this year’s United Cup’s round-robin match, the Aussie didn’t give any chance to the American and comfortably won 6-4, 6-2 in straight sets.

When it comes to title this season, Minaur has got two. The first one came in March at the Mexican Open where he beat Casper Ruud 6-4, 6-4 in the final. The next one came in the Libema Open in s-Hertogenbosch where he won against America’s Sebastian Korda with a scoreline of 6-2, 6-4.

On the other hand, Fritz has also won two titles in 2024. He lifted the trophy at the Delray Beach Open in February after defeating compatriot Tommy Paul 6-2, 6-3. He then won the Eastbourne International as well by getting the better of Australia’s Max Purcell with a final score of 6-4, 6-3.

But Taylor’s got one little edge over Minaur. He’s won one match out of the two at the ATP Finals. However, Minaur has lost both his encounters so far. He initially lost against Jannik Sinner and then couldn’t do much against Daniil Medvedev earlier this week on Tuesday. It’s going to be a do-or-die situation for the Australian as he goes up against Fritz today. Who do you think will emerge victorious and advance? Let us know in the comments.