Key events
Carlos Alcaraz takes the second set against Taylor Fritz 7-5
Alcaraz (2)6-7 7-5 Fritz* Even though he’s a bit off it today, that Alcaraz is wearing the performance of Fritz’s life says plenty about his own brilliance. And he’ll be sensing opportunity when a forehand butchered long gives him 0-15, a streaky drop, off the net cord, making 0-30, the first time in the match Alcaraz has got to here. Oh, and another Fritz error donates three set points, the first saved in typically domineering style and the second en route … until the world no 1 digs out a tremendous forehand pass to level the match! I guess it’s not possible to play as well as Fritz was for an entire match, but he’ll be feeling very poorly to have slipped when he did. Can he recover? We shall see, as this match gets the deciding set it and we deserve. We cannot wait, and the good news is we don’t have to.
*Alcaraz (2)6-7 6-5 Fritz At 30-0, yet another amazing point, Fritz working so hard to stick in it but responding to every shot that nearly ends it with one of his own that asks questions … until he slips. From there, Alcaraz serves out, and we’re a hold away from another beaker.
Alcaraz (2)6-7 5-5 Fritz* Serving to stay in the set, Fritz begins with a big first delivery then an ace, and though he errs thereafter, a service winner and another dominant point secure the hold, making a nonsense of any pressure he was under with the set on the line. He remains the better player; Alcaraz hasn’t found a way of neutralising him, forced to rely on errors and genius for his points.
*Alcaraz (2)6-7 5-4 Fritz Fritz sends Alcaraz to hither and yon, tickling a volley across the face of the net that’s just good enough for 0-15. But he’s soon admonishing himself for missing a forehand, then he nets another, and a winner spanked past him means 40-15; he draws nearer with a winner hit corner to corner … and oh my days, a winner wafted backhand down the line, on the retreat, takes us to deuce. Again, I’ve not seen Fritz play like this, ever, he marches to net to stick away a forehand for advantage, and even though he picks out Alcaraz, the response, manufactured, conjured, floatily cross-court, is miraculous, and from there, the hold is secured. Tennis, and sport, don’t get much better than this.
Alcaraz (2)6-7 4-4 Fritz* A fine forehand gives Alcaraz 15-all, then Fritz escapes with a mishit only to net a backhand; is he tiring? Well, he’s 10/10 of first-serve points won and two more give him game point, but there’s nothing he can do about the top-spinning forehand to corner that schleps him to deuce. And have a look! Sent out of court to return, Alcaraz is barely on the screen when he scythes a forehand return winner to raise advantage; Fritz quickly confiscates it from him, earns his own game point, dominates the next rally, and looks to put away the desperate lob sent back at him … but it’s too high, he can’t get it, and back to deuce we go. From there, though, the hold is secured, and this feels like we’re on a roller-coaster, cranking up a slope.
*Alcaraz (2)6-7 4-3 Fritz Neither Tim nor Laura have seen Fritz play this well, but now it’s Alcaraz with the love hold, as set two builds to crescendo.
Alcaraz (2)6-7 3-3 Fritz* A big first serve followed by an ace make 30-0, a service winner givES 40, and an ace down the T secures a hold in under a minute, following the 14-minuter to which he just subjected Alcaraz. Fritz is playing like the big dog here, and I can’t even remember the last time anyone did that to this opponent.
*Alcaraz (2)6-7 3-2 Fritz Two mistakes from Alcaraz, who can’t get himself relaxed and in flow, hand Fritz 0-30; a forehand winner and overhit forehand – just! – one from each player, bring us to 30-all. And, though the world no 1 raises game point, a netted drop means deuce and, when Fritz sticks in the rally, Alcaraz drops a half-volley short, he crunches consecutive forehands and at advantage, has a chance to break. Again, the return is excellent, likewise the drop-retrieval, and what a point this is, both players doing everything right … but it’s the younger man who lasts longer, putting away a volley, the 19th stroke of the exchange, to restore deuce. So Alcaraz makes advantage, then Fritz plays a shot so brilliantly unusual I’m not even sure what it is and they don’t show us it again, but it hits the line, then a forehand falls long and he’s again forced to save game point. This game now feels pivotal and, when Fritz once more responds well to a drop, picking out the corner, Alcaraz somehow hooks a forehand winner cross-court from around his arse, and I don’t even know what to tell you: these boys are unbelievable. Again, though, Fritz restores deuce, makes advantage thereafter … and watches an an ace screeches and hisses across him, leaving scorch marks in the air; this is sensational behaviour from both players. I wonder if they’re enjoying the contest or if the stress and exhaustion are too much; for Fritz, especially, there’s a lot riding on him getting it done, and he’ll be relieved when a double burns another Alcaraz advantage without the expenditure of effort then, when we again go advantage Alcaraz, deuce, an ace down the T and a long return secure the hold. The world no 1 raises arms skywards in thanksgiving and supplication – to greet a mere hold – and I can’t overstate what a trip this match is. I’ve never seen Fritz so confident, prepared and aggressive.
Alcaraz (2)6-7 2-2 Fritz* Fritz knew he was at it during the Musetti match – how could he not? – and yet another backhand winner down the line makes 30-0. Pre-match, I wondered if he’d hit down the middle to deny angle, but I couldn’t have been wronger: he’s looking to move Alcaraz about and take control of points. A hold to 15 is secured with an ace, and this is pretty much perfect from Fritz, who is nailing all his skills while holding his nerve.
*Alcaraz (2)6-7 2-1 Fritz The standard has dipped a bit, so too the drama, but Alcaraz finds a high-kicking ace for 40-15, then spirits a forehand winner cross-court, after Fritz sends him to the corner, to regain his advantage in the set.
Alcaraz (2)6-7 1-1 Fritz* Alcaraz retreats to receive, then steps in to seize control of the rally with a forehand to the corner, only to overhit next point;15-all. A pair of forehands, one to each corner, make 30-15, and an ace closes out the game to 30.
*Alcaraz (2)6-7 1-0 Fritz Alcaraz spent much of that set chutering, but he’ll know if he plays well, he’ll probably win from here, and that Fritz will be expecting, almost fearing an improvement. He makes 30-0 for the first time in the match, an ace down the middle raises game point, and an overhit backhand secures a hold to 15. Better from the world no 1.
Taylor Fritz wins the first set against Carlos Alcaraz 7-6(2)
Alcaraz (2)6-7 Fritz Fritz smites an ace down the T … then another! Thus endeth what might be the best set of his career, and can he maintain his level? He’s absolutely zoned, hitting his spots on serve and, just as importantly, on return, his length impeccable, while he’s also starting to read Alcaraz’s drops. I’m buzzing to see what happens next.
Alcaraz 6-6 Fritz (2-5) Now then. Alcaraz unnecessarily nets a backhand and Fritz has two serves to clinch the set!
Alcaraz 6-6 Fritz (1-4) Up 1-0, Fritz has a look at a second serve and goes down the line on backhand return … but he’s wide. No matter: he anticipates a drop, runs it down, belts to the corner, and though Alcaraz forces him to hit another ball, he makes light of a taxing putaway to secure the first mini-break, consolidated for 4-1 when the Spaniard, who isn’t loving this, opens the space for a backhand winner down the line, only to overhit.
*Alcaraz 6-6 Fritz Another second serve, another decent return, and a tame forehand wafted long donates Fritz his fifth 0-15 of the set. Alcaraz, though, powers back, a service winner making 30-15 and a forehand winner taking him to within a point of a tiebreak, secured to 30. I’ve not a clue what’s going to happen in the breaker, but I’m certain it’ll be intense.
Alcaraz 5-6 Fritz* Fritz has been the better player in this set and he dismissively wallops an overhead for 30-0, closes out the love hold, and again, Alcaraz must serve to stay in the set.
*Alcaraz 5-5 Fritz For the fourth time in five goes, Fritz makes 0-15 … only to overhit a backhand, marginally. A serve out wide then makes 30-15, but a tremendous forehand, down the line to the corner, is backed up with a sliced volley, and the American is two points away from the set. Alcaraz, though, nails a mahoosive serve then clatters a backhand into the opposite corner for 40-30 … only to stray long on the backhand and hand over deuce. He’s struggling a bit on second serve, just 6/18 points won, and he offers Fritz a look at another … making advantage with a backhand ushered down the line. And though he then nets a drop, an ace down the T is followed by another biggun, a backhand into the net securing his hold.
Alcaraz 4-5 Fritz* A big return, Alcaraz charges in behind it … and doesn’t have to play a volley; 0-15. For al the good it does him, a service-winner making 40-15 … but on the run, he coaxes a backhand winner down the line to give himself a sniff, only for Fritz to quickly secure the hold. The Spaniard must now serve to stay in the best set (of tennis) I’ve seen in I don’t even know how long.
*Alcaraz 4-4 Fritz A terrific return on to the line hauls Fritz into the first rally and though Alcaraz fights back, this time his drop plops wide, then a hooked forehand is also wide; 0-30. But of course it’s soon 30-all, a drop and overhead pat doing the business … only for Fritz to unload the suitcase at a forehand, booming it flat and to the corner … too good! Another break point, another good return … only for an overhit forehand to ruin it and take us to deuce. Fritz, though, keeps the head, leaping into a backhand return and guiding the ball inside-out … and into the corner! Naturally, Alcaraz quickly restores deuce, then makes advantage via ace, before unleashing a monstrous serve, backed up with a swing-volley. He’s now saved six break points, but Fritz is giving him all he can handle.
Alcaraz 3-4 Fritz* A relatively quiet game, Fritz holding to 15, and both men are settled into comfortable holds.
*Alcaraz 3-3 Fritz Alcaraz spends the first bit of the sit-down complaining to the umpire about something; Fritz will love to see it. And he’ll also love to see a forehand hit the net when behind in the first point, but Alcaraz is quickly in to restore parity and an error gives him 30-15. A drop-lob combo move follows, the equivalent of of Dhalsim’s slide kick into yoga flame, and a service winner secures the hold.
Alcaraz 2-3 Fritz* I almost feel bad rinsing Fritz’s rig, but he’s driven me to it. But back with the actual tennis, Alcaraz ushers a backhand winner down the line to make 30-all only to fractionally overhit a return, and an ace down the T does the rest. Alcaraz is vexed, and rightly so: how dare he let a game finish in less than 27 minutes.
Photograph: Clive Brunskill/Getty Images
*Alcaraz 2-2 Fritz Fritz swipes a forehand long but then, when he anticipates Alcaraz, what should’ve been a clean-up is in fact a tee-up, allowing a backhand winner for 15-all. Then, at 30-15, he reads the drop and next volley, before a loopy forehand hits one corner then a backhand into the opposite one raises break-back point; this is more or less as well as Fritz can play but, offered a look at a second serve, he nets his return with the ball there for him; deuce. Alcaraz, though, goes for too much down the line, donating advantage, we’ve been going nearly half an hour for our three-and-a-bit games … and Fritz nails a backhand, keeps up the pressure, and secures the break back! This is the best contest I’ve seen, in any sport, for a while.
Alcaraz 2-1 Fritz* One of the many things i love about watching Alcaraz is the intellectual, spiritual challenge of predicting what shot he’s going to play – it’s almost like playing Tetris, testing the boundaries of geometry. And the pressure tells on Fritz, who’s soon down 15-40 before another drop secures the break; he’s forcing Alcaraz to play brilliantly, if that’s any consolation.
*Alcaraz 1-1 Fritz The last thing Fritz will want is for Alcraraz to rush through an easy hold and he makes 0-15, then attacks a second serve with a backhand down the line, as we suggested he should, for 0-30. And, though Alcaraz halves his arrears, Faritz runs around his forehand to clout down the line, raising two break points; the first disappears with an overhit forehand, the second with a service winner. Up advantage, though, Alcaraz errs, and this is already ridiculously enjoyable, Fritz taking control of the next rally by landing a forehand on to the baseline and seeing it home with backhands down the line to earn a third break point. And this time he looks ready to take it, racing to net when a drop sits up … but Alcaraz reads him and puts away the volley! The anticipation there was spooky, and there’s something about watching him play that’s almost wrong, stuff that shouldn’t be possible happening with such regularity it feels unreal, or staged. And that’s exactly the next point, a no-look drop, discharged with Fritz expecting a booming cross-court shot, followed up with a perfectly disguised and perfect lob; from there, Alcaraz sees out the hold, and these two games have been of absurdly high standard.
Alcaraz 0-1 Fritz* (denotes server) A forehand clouted wide gives Alcaraz 0-15 … but that’s nothing a service winner can’t solve. At 30-15, though, a tame forehand into the net puts him under immediate pressure … but that’s nothing an ace can’t serve. He quickly makes 40-30, too, but a backhand winner sizzles past him cross, and another netted forehand means Alcaraz has advantage. Fritz looks nervous, reflecting how well he knows he’s playing: this is is his time. He saves break point with a forehand winner, but is soon down advantage again, totally dominated in the next rally. Also again, though, he restores deuce, and this time an ace raises game point … only to be followed by a double. On the one hand, this isn’t the game Fritz had in mind when he opted to serve but, on the other, if he can see out the tension and hold, it’ll fortify him with confidence. Meantime, though, an ace earns another advantage, but again, he can’t see it out; what a start to the match this is. AND HAVE A LOOK! Again up advantage and this tome at the net with a simple putaway there for him, Fritz picks out Alcaraz who hoists a lob, then deals with the tweener sent at him in riposte via volley. That was another terrific exchange, was, restoring deuce, but Fritz again makes his ad, this time punishing down an ace to secure a nine-minute hold. MORE MORE MORE MORE MORE.
Fritz has been getting closer to a big breakthrough – he made last year’s US Open final, beating Alexander Zverev en route, and he gave Alcaraz trouble in the semis at this year’s Wimbledon. And though he’s yet to beat one of the greats on the big occasion, he’ll feel he’s in good enough for so to do. He has the balls and is preparing to serve. Ready … play.
Out comes Fritz, followed by Alcaraz. The crowds so far have been great, and who doesn’t want to spend a weekday afternoon enjoying genius?
“It’s pretty fast,” Fritz said of the court after his first match, also noting that there’s some altitude, so the ball flies through the air quicker, aspects which help his flat backhand. If he hits it cross-court, he might find it coming back even harder, but if he can sent it down the line, it might work well for him.
If Alcaraz wins today, he’ll be one win against Musetti away from ending the year as world no 1. If he loses, a win in his final match will leave Sinner needing him to lose the semi, while winning the title as an undefeated champion; if loses both matches, Sinner will merely need to lift the trophy. Which would be pretty likely, given every tournament both have entered this season, one has won.
The problem Fritz has is he too has weaknesses. I’d expect Alcaraz to target his backhand while putting him on the bike, moving him side to side and into the net so he can’t plant feet and thwack.
So how does Fritz win today? Well, patience is important: Alcaraz isn’t metronomic like Sinner, and loses his serve more often; Fritz needn’t force things, but when the opportunities arise, he has to be ready. Usually, he’d want to shorten points, but in this one he may hope to lengthen them, hitting full and straight to deny angles and force Alcaraz to seek winners.
Otherwise, he has to attack the serve – first and second – and the backhand, then hope for an off-day.
Alcaraz leads Fritz 4-1 in the head-to-head … but Fritz’s one win came not that long ago, in September, and it was also on an indoor hard court. I guess we might say it came two weeks after the US Open final, so chances are, its champion has been more focused, but if helps convince Fritz he can win this afternoon, it doesn’t matter.
Preamble
It’s not easy being a tenniser. To be fit enough to chase like mad for five hours, delivering skills that demand precision and power, while living life on the road away from family and friends, is a confronting existence.
The reward, though, for those at the top, is occasions such as this – and yet, for Taylor Fritz, they come freighted with frustration: he’s close to the top of the game, so close he can taste the glory, and yet it looks unlikely ever to be his. He played very nicely indeed in beating Lorenzo Musetti on Sunday, but would that level be enough to see off Carlos Alcaraz? Probably not.
And yet. Like Felix Auger-Aliassime last evening, if he serves well, he can stick in sets, and if he can stick in sets, he can reduce them to a tiebreak point here and there, and if he can reduce them to a tiebreak point here and there, if he produces his best tennis during them, or if Alcaraz errs, that’s a lot of ifs, but he can get this done. Perhaps.
Either way, though, it’s going to be a lot of fun watching him try, just as it’s always a lot of fun watching Alcaraz watching people try. And if there’s a better way of spending a Tuesday afternoon, I’m yet to discover it.
Play: 1pm GMT
