Taylor Fritz reacts to his sensational diving shot against Casper Ruud at 2022 ATP Finals
Eighth seed Taylor Fritz was in action at the 2022 ATP Finals on Tuesday. Up against World No. 4 Casper Ruud, he suffered defeat in what was a hard-fought clash between the two.
During the match, the American pulled off an astounding diving volley which earned him a crucial point that denied Ruud a breakpoint in the third set.
Fritz retweeted a social media post that shared the video and wrote:
"would've been cooler if I won"
Having secured a comprehensive victory against Rafael Nadal in his first match, Fritz had a golden opportunity to secure a spot in the semifinals of the ATP Finals if he outclassed Ruud on Tuesday.
Ruud won the first set quite convincingly by making the most of the fast conditions at the Pala Alpitour Arena. Fritz gradually recovered from the sluggish start as he executed some clean baseline shots and took the second set, forcing a decider.
While the stunning volley helped Fritz save a break point at 2-2 in the final set, the 25-year-old ultimately went down to the Norwegian in the tiebreak. With a win on Tuesday, Ruud sealed his semifinal berth.
"When I play the top guys, I just always play better tennis because I know I need to" - Taylor Fritz on his fixtures against top players at 2022 ATP Finals
Taylor Fritz has had a strong 2022 season, winning titles at the Indian Wells and Japan Open. With decent outings this year, the 25-year-old has found his place in the ATP Finals for the first time in his career.
The World No. 9 faced Rafael Nadal in his opening group-stage clash. The American did not feel overwhelmed by the 22-time Grand Slam champion's caliber and was instead motivated to play at his best.
“I think I like it more because when I play the top guys, I just always play better tennis because I know I need to. I know I'm not going to get away with anything less than my best tennis. I'm much more prone to play a not-so-good match against a lower-ranked person who I really, really don't want to lose to," Taylor Fritz expressed.
While a heartbreaking loss against Ruud on Tuesday might have dampened Taylor Fritz's confidence, he will well be hoping to make the most out of the clash against fifth seed Felix Auger Aliassime and thereby book a place in the semi-finals.