- Mutua Madrid Open Schedule and Draws for Friday, April 26, 2024
- Tennis Balls Favorite Photographer and Producer Rob Stone Premieres THE Blue Angels IMAX Film!
- It’s a Girl! Belinda Bencic Welcomes Daughter to the World
- Nadal kicks off Mutua Madrid Open campaign with easy win over Blanch
- Mutua Madrid Open Schedule and Draws for Thursday, April 25, 2024
- Mutua Madrid Open Schedule and Draws for Wednesday, April 24, 2024
- Novak Djokovic Earns 5th Laureus World Sportsman of the Year Award
- Mutua Madrid Open Schedule and Draws for Tuesday, April 23, 2024
- Rafael Nadal Commits to 2024 Laver Cup
- Mutua Madrid Open Schedule and Draws for Monday, April 22, 2024
- Casper Ruud Tops Stefanos Tsitsipas for Barcelona Title
- Former World No. 1 Garbiñe Muguruza Retires
- Fritz Flies Into First Clay-Court Final in Munich
- Munich Open Schedule and Draws for Sunday, April 21, 2024
- Home For Sale Minutes From The Indian Wells Tennis Gardens
Tennis News From Atlanta • De Minaur Takes Down Opelka, Faces Taylor Fritz In Finals
- Updated: July 28, 2019
By Ricky Dimon
It will be a different looking BB&T Atlanta Open final on Sunday with no John Isner in the picture, but it will also be an intriguing one. Rising stars Alex de Minaur and Taylor Fritz both moved within one win of their second ATP titles following respective semifinal victories on Saturday.
De Minaur got the day started with a 7-6(4), 6-7(5), 6-3 defeat of Reilly Opelka, who upset the five-time champion and eight-time finalist Isner in the second round. The 20-year-old Aussie won 45 of 47 first-serve points and did not face a break point. He has not faced a single break point this entire tournament, in fact.
“You gotta know that pretty much if you get broken you’re going to lose any set,” de Minaur said of going up against the 6’10” Opelka. “I knew coming in that this was going to be an absolute battle. I just had to stay level-headed and hopefully things we’re gonna go my way…and they did.”
The world No. 34 had two break-point opportunities in the second set that almost certainly would have put the match away in straights, but Opelka fought them off in clutch fashion–not unlike his performance late in a tight third set against Isner. De Minaur bounced back to break serve early in the third, at which point he had things in cruise control the rest of the way.
“I had a couple chances in the second set and he came up with an ace and an unbelievable forehand,” de Minaur noted. “I just had to keep putting myself in that position; every point I won on his serve was going to help me in the long run…. At the end I managed to guess the right way on his serve and get the break.
Another win means de Minaur’s well-documented mustache stays.
“It’s been lucky here so far,” he joked. “I started it as a little bit of a funny thing at the start of the week. I’m not too sure you can call this a mustache. I’m just trying to replicate Jordan Thompson. He actually has facial hair…. (This is the) first time I’ve done it.”
Will it go with him to Washington, D.C. if he takes the title tomorrow?
“I think I need to,” de Minaur concluded. “It would be crime to shave it off; doesn’t matter how bad it looks.”
But it won’t be easy against Fritz, who just lifted his first ATP trophy in Eastbourne and is now through to another title match following Saturday night’s 6-1, 3-6, 6-3 victory over doubles partner Cameron Norrie.
“It feels great,” the 21-year-old American assured. “It’s so reassuring to (win) in Eastbourne and then just the next 250 I play I’m already back in another final. It’d be amazing to win, to go two 250 titles back-to-back. It would be so good for the rest of my year in terms of ranking and seeding. It’d be huge for me.”
The final set against Norrie was mostly straightforward for Fritz, although he briefly trailed 0-15 at 5-13 before reeling off three huge first serves and then winning a wild exchange at the net on match point.
“I figured he’s gonna go after it so I just had to take the racket out of his hands,” the world No. 32 explained. “I really trust myself under pressure.”
Fritz can expect more pressure against one of the best returners and fastest players on tour in de Minaur.
“Ranking-wise we’re two of the best guys under 22. That’s going to be an exciting match and I’m sure we’ll see each other a lot in the future.”