Taylor Fritz's girlfriend Morgan Riddle laughs as the American takes a tennis ball to the face during doubles match
Taylor Fritz's girlfriend Morgan Riddle was unable to contain her amusement as the American was hit in the face by a tennis ball during his doubles match alongside partner Holger Rune at the 2023 Monte-Carlo Masters.
Fritz and Rune defeated Simone Bolelli and Lorenzo Musetti 7-6(5), 6-2 to begin their doubles campaign in Monte-Carlo. The pair will take on fourth seeds Nikola Mektic and Mate Pavic in the second round.
During the match, the World No. 10 was caught off-guard by a ball flying straight at his face. His girlfriend Morgan Riddle posted a clip of Fritz being unable to dodge the ball in time, causing her to burst out into laughter.
"Sorry @taylor_fritz," Riddle wrote with a laughing emoji
Taylor Fritz will take on Stan Wawrinka in the second round of the Monte-Carlo Masters
Following his quarterfinal finishes at both the Indian Wells and Miami Masters, Taylor Fritz will look to make another deep run in the third ATP Masters 1000 event of the season. The American will take on Stan Wawrinka in the second round in Monte-Carlo.
Wawrinka defeated Tallon Griekspoor 5-7, 6-3, 6-4 to book his spot against Fritz. Following his win, the three-time Grand Slam champion praised the American and acknowledged him as a dangerous opponent. He admitted that he would have to raise his level in order to score a win against an "amazing player" like the World No. 10.
“I think, the way he’s playing, he’s always going to be dangerous. So, I will have to play better than today,” Wawrinka said. “He’s an amazing player. He’s top 10. He’s been improving a lot, winning a lot of matches, winning a lot of tournaments. He’s really dangerous on any surface.”
Wawrinka also expressed his delight at getting through to the second round in Monte-Carlo.
"It was really important to stay calm with myself. In the first round you need to find your game. The first match on clay is never easy against a good player. I am happy to get through. It was important to fight until the end," he added.
Wawrinka leads 2-0 in his head-to-head against Fritz. However, their most recent encounter came way back at the 2018 Japan Open, which the Swiss player won in straight sets.
In 2022, Taylor Fritz made a run to the quarterfinals at the Monte-Carlo Masters, falling to eventual finalist Alejandro Davidovich Fokina. Meanwhile, Stan Wawrinka lost his first-round match to Alexander Bublik in straight sets.