What happened between Alexander Zverev & Taylor Fritz at the net after Wimbledon 4R marathon? What did the German say? All you need to know
Alexander Zverev and Taylor Fritz had a long verbal exchange at the net following the pair's fourth-round clash at the ongoing 2024 Wimbledon Championships on Monday, July 8. The German seemed to initiate it, and later, he revealed what he told Fritz. Zverev ended up losing the match after establishing a seemingly insurmountable two-set lead.
Despite Fritz's solid grasscourt credentials, Zverev was the overwhelming favorite to progress to the quarterfinals. Across his first three matches at SW19 this year, the German's serve had been imperious, and he had not faced a single break point. Unsurprisingly, he came out all guns blazing against Fritz and won the first set comfortably (6-4) and the second set after a tiebreak [7-6(4)].
However, things started going downhill for the World No. 4 from the third set onwards, as Fritz raised his game drastically. The American's booming serve and uncanny ability to find frequent winners eventually proved to be Zverev's undoing. Fritz won the last three sets 6-4, 7-6(3), 6-3, respectively to reach the Wimbledon quarterfinals for the second time in his career.
After sealing the match point, the two came together at the net, but what followed was not your typical handshake. Zverev appeared to talk at length to Fritz about something, which, then, remained shrouded in secrecy. However, later, at a press conference, the German touched on the subject.
According to Zverev, Fritz's team overall "is extremely respectful", but suggested that there were some people in the American's box that went "over the top" in cheering Fritz on.
"His (Fritz's) team is extremely respectful. I think his coach, his physio, also his second coach, they're extremely respectful. I think there's some other people that maybe are in the box that are not maybe from the tennis world, that are not maybe from particularly watching every single match. They were a bit over the top," Zverev said.
However, the World No. 4 went on to say that in hindsight, he has "no issues" about it. The German expressed his general admiration for Fritz as well.
"That's okay. No issues. No drama. He fought back from two sets to love, so they're obviously all excited, very pumped up, yeah. But no issues with Taylor. I think Taylor is a great guy. I have absolutely no issues with him," Zverev added.
Taylor Fritz set for Lorenzo Musetti encounter in Wimbledon 2024 quarterfinals
Having ousted the No. 4 seed from the prestigious grasscourt Major, Fritz would be confident of getting a positive result against his next opponent, Italian Lorenzo Musetti. The American is set to clash against the in-form Musetti on Wednesday, July 10.
Fritz has faced the Italian on three previous occasions on the ATP Tour and holds a 2-1 advantage in the pair's head-to-head. However, Musetti's sole victory over the 2022 BNP Paribas Open champion came when they met last at the 2024 Monte-Carlo Masters. On that occasion, the Italian registered a comfortable 6-4, 6-4 victory in the first round of the ATP Masters 1000 event.
Both Fritz and Musetti's respective grasscourt forms have been positive so far this season. While the American came into the Wimbledon Championships on the back of a title triumph in Eastbourne, Musetti narrowly missed on the Queen's title, losing to Fritz's compatriot and close friend Tommy Paul in the final.