Was Taylor Fritz a Sitting Duck Against Novak Djokovic? ‘Ridiculous’ Australian Open Controversy Revisited

While the likes of Ben Shelton and Frances Tiafoe have disappointed, Taylor Fritz is carrying the American hopes in men’s singles at the ongoing Australian Open. The top-ranked American has made it to the quarterfinal Down Under after defeating Stefanos Tsitsipas in a thrilling match. However, in the last eight, he faces a familiar foe named Novak Djokovic. Three years back, the two went up against each other in the same tournament. During that encounter, a shocking incident took place.

The 2021 Australian Open was played amid the Covid-19 pandemic. As a result, there were many restrictions on the fans present inside the stadium. One such lockdown-related rule went against Fritz’s favor.

Taylor Fritz slammed the inappropriate ruling

The American was involved in a tight third-round clash against the top seed Djokovic. While the Serb won the opening two sets, Fritz fought back to level the match. While Fritz had the momentum going into the fifth set, the umpire stopped the match midway to empty the stands.

The state of Victoria had announced fresh lockdown measures while the match was going on. It was due to a Covid-19 outbreak at a Melbourne hotel. The ruling required the fans to empty the stadium and the umpire granted a 10-minute break for it.

Djokovic apparently had a small injury and the break acted as a boon for him. The break switched the momentum as Djokovic won the fifth set comfortably 6-2. On the other hand, Fritz was furious after the umpire halted the match in between. He slammed the decision, saying that it was ‘absolutely ridiculous.’

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Meanwhile, Fritz is staying positive ahead of his clash against Djokovic. Despite his poor record against the Serb, Fritz remained firm on his ability to outwit Djokovic at the Australian Open.

What did Fritz say about playing Djokovic?

Fritz has played Djokovic on eight occasions before. However, he has yet to register a victory in those meetings. Nonetheless, Fritz believes he has the game to defeat Djokovic one day.

Talking about it, the American star said, “I mean, if I beat someone eight times in a row, I’d be pretty confident playing them, too, I’d have to say. I can’t really fault him for that. I think the conditions here are definitely better for me than maybe US Open or Cincinnati. I mean, to be honest, the only decent match I’ve played against him in our last couple meetings was in Turin at the end of ’22.”

It’ll be interesting to see how Taylor Fritz fares against Novak Djokovic Down Under. Their match takes place tomorrow at the Rod Laver Arena. Will the Serbian achieve his ninth straight win against the American?

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