Canadian Open 2022: Taylor Fritz vs Andy Murray preview, head-to-head, prediction, odds and pick
Match Details
Fixture: (10) Taylor Fritz vs (WC) Andy Murray.
Tournament: Canadian Open 2022.
Round: First round (Round of 64).
Venue: Montreal, Canada.
Category: ATP Masters 1000.
Surface: Hard.
Prize money: $5,926,545.
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | Canada - Sportsnet, TVA Sports | UK - Amazon Prime Video | India - Sports 18.
Taylor Fritz vs Andy Murray preview
World No. 13 Taylor Fritz will square off against three-time Grand Slam champion Andy Murray in the first round of the 2022 Canadian Open.
Fritz has put together quite an amazing season so far. At the Australian Open, he reached the fourth round of a Grand Slam for the first time, but lost to Stefanos Tsitsipas in five sets. He then reached the quarterfinals of the Dallas Open.
Fritz lost in the second round of the Mexican Open after that. He rebounded by winning the biggest title of his career at the Indian Wells Open. The American defeated Rafael Nadal in the final and snapped his 20-match winning streak. He then lost in the fourth round of the Miami Open.
An injury caused Fritz to play a curtailed clay season, which he concluded with a second-round exit from the French Open. During the grasscourt swing, he won his second title of the year at the Eastbourne International. The 24-year old bettered his previous Grand Slam performance by reaching the quarterfinals of Wimbledon, going down to Nadal in a five-set thriller.
Fritz competed at the Citi Open recently, but the hot and humid conditions coupled with him not being fully fit forced him to retire towards the end of his third-round match.
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Andy Murray started the year with a first-round loss at the Melbourne Summer Set. He didn't let the setback affect him at all as he finished as the runner-up at the Sydney Tennis Classic the following week. The Brit was upset by Taro Daniel in the second round of the Australian Open.
Murray then failed to progress beyond the second round of his next five tournaments. He finally did so at the Madrid Open, where he made it to the third round. Unfortunately, he withdrew from the tournament due to an illness. The former World No. 1 then returned to action directly for the grasscourt swing.
Murray first competed in a Challenger event where he made it to the semifinals. He reached his second final of the year at the Stuttgart Open the following week, but lost to Matteo Berrettini. John Isner knocked him out in the second round of Wimbledon.
The Citi Open was Murray's most recent tournament. Mikael Ymer sent him packing in the first round itself, winning in three sets.
Taylor Fritz vs Andy Murray head-to-head
The two have not faced off prior to this, so the head-to-head stands at 0-0 for now.
Taylor Fritz vs Andy Murray odds
(All odds are sourced from BetMGM)
Taylor Fritz vs Andy Murray prediction
Their record at the Canadian Open is poles apart. Murray is a three-time champion, while Fritz is yet to win a match here. The Brit is competing here for the first time since his title-winning run in 2015.
Fritz has come into his own this year and has navigated his way to the top of the men's game. His blistering serve is tough to counter at times. His groundstrokes are equally a threat, and he utilizes the court well with his crosscourt angled shots.
Murray has put up some vintage performances this year despite some disappointing results. Sustaining his level over the course of a tournament, and at times, even a match. has been a challenge. The Brit is still one of the finest returners on tour and has it in him to neutralize Fritz's serve.
Murray's record against top 20 players stands at 2-6 this season. If Fritz is fully healthy, he should be able to fend off any challenge posed by the former World No. 1. But the Brit can never truly be counted out, and he still has the potential to eke out a victory. Based on their results, it's the 24-year old who has the edge.
Pick: Taylor Fritz to win in three sets.