Fritz left a big mark in the fight against Medvedev in Turin | ATP Tour

Nitto ATP Final

Fritz left a big mark in the fight against Medvedev in Turin

The American has been appointed interim leader of the group, Ilie Nastase.

November 10, 2024

Taylor Fritz made a clear message this Sunday at the Nitto ATP Finals, defeating former champion Daniil Medvedev 6-2, 6-3 to become interim group leader Ilie Nastase. The American, present for the second time at the final tournament of the season, underlined his complete sporting maturity by leaving a huge mark on the Inalpi Arena in Turin.

The No. 6 in the PIF ATP rankings showed excellent adaptation to Italian domestic conditions, infuriating his opponents with one of the most complete matches of the year. Fritz gobbled up Medvedev’s second serve (16/22), leaving his first shots under constant pressure. Patience was key for the American, who decided the match with just one sleeve break. Taylor won without giving up a single serve, saving all three break points.

“The serve played a fundamental role,” said Fritz, who won 85% (33/39) of his points on his first serve. “Daniil is a great returner. You can serve a lot of first serves, but if they are not very high quality, he is capable of making quite a lot of return passes on the court.”

“It worked wonderfully. I played a lot of lines and had great accuracy early in the game. I played a lot of serve moves without pressure. simple moments.”

The victory helped Fritz level the (1-1) Lexus ATP Head2Head record between the two and show his ability to compete in the season-closing tournament. The American, who has been present in Turin for two of the last three years, cemented his chances of making it past the group stage as he did on his 2022 debut en route to the semi-finals.

Ranked among the top eight players in the world, Fritz is aiming to complete the best season of his ATP Tour career. The Californian, who won two titles (Delray Beach, Eastbourne) before reaching his first Grand Slam final, became the first American to compete at a major as an individual in 15 years.

The first day of the Ilie Nastase Group will end with a night session. World number one Jannik Sinner will look to capitalize on his status as a great local icon to take on Australian debutant Alex de Minaur.