By Richard Pagliaro | @Tennis_Now | Friday, October 11, 2024
Photo: Rob Newell/CameraSport
Tennis is all about timing.
Facing up Novak Djokovic it’s not a good time for Taylor Fritz.
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US Open finalist Fritz holds an embarrassing 0-9 record against Grand Slam king Djokovic in their Rolex Shanghai Masters semi-final on Saturday.
In some of those nine meetings, Djokovic has consumed Fritz so thoroughly — including a 6-0, 6-4 sweep in the Cincinnati 2023 quarterfinals — it’s a wonder the scalding left no burn marks.
Consider the fact that Djokovic plays some of his best tennis in Asia and will be extremely motivated to be just two games away from a historic 100th career championship.
So why is Fritz optimistic about beating four-time Shanghai champion Djokovic on Saturday?
Competing in his fifth ATP Masters 1000 semi-final, Fritz has reason to believe in his form and his stroke.
Seventh-seeded Fritz has not dropped a set in four tournament wins, serving strongly and buoyed by the confidence that comes from his run to his first major final at Flushing Meadows.
While he wasn’t channeling Vitas Gerulaitis’ famous “nobody beats Vitas Gerulaitis 17 times in a row,” Fritz thinks he’s the right fit for the progression.
“We played a lot of times, and I never got it, so I’m really, really just waiting for that, you know, excited for the opportunity and waiting for that time when, you know, maybe I can get a first win for him,” Fritz said of facing Djokovic. “So that’s something I’d be very excited about, you know.
“Obviously, incredibly difficult. I think it might be 0-10, but I think it’s 0-9 (smiling), but, you know, hopefully one of these times I need it because I’m just getting better and better and, yes, I’m excited about the opportunity to play with him.”
The serve will be crucial for Fritz, a pure ball forward who has been burned in rallies by the 37-year-old Serbian superstar in the past.
In Djokovic’s three-set quarter-final victory over 19-year-old seed Jakub Mensik today, the former world No. 1 won most of the longer contests, although he pulled his left leg late in the third set.
“I mean, it’s a strange feeling, to be honest, those two points in that game, but after that it was good,” Djokovic told media in Shanghai. “So hopefully when it cools down I won’t have any problems with it because I already have problems with my right knee so it wouldn’t be good. Yeah, let’s see what tomorrow brings.”
Assuming Djokovic’s legs are fine, Fritz will have to serve in command and play some spells of forehand tennis as Djokovic is the taller player on all courts who is more dangerous than most field area. Fritz has avoided nine of 12 break points in his four wins in Shanghai.
Fritz is fourth on the ATP Tour in service games held this season (88 percent) behind only world No. 1 Jannik Sinner, Alexander Zverev and Hubert Hurkacz in that vital category.
“I think my serve has always been a big part of my game. It’s always been, you know, one of the best, if not the best part of my game,” Fritz told media in Shanghai. “But I think overall this year, this whole year, I’ve felt like I’ve been in a better rhythm with my serve.
“There were times when maybe it didn’t feel as good as I would have liked, but yeah, especially in the last match and then this match, even more so in the second set of this match, yeah, I feel like I’m serving a percentage of well and I hit very well.”
