American pro Taylor Fritz dazzled the fans at the Australian Open with a hard-fought first-round victory over Facundo Diaz Acosta.
The five-set match was filled with all kinds of drama as the players fought hard for every point, making the match that much more interesting.
Both players went back and forth with the set wins, taking the game into the last and deciding set of the match.
After the second set, there was a moment where the whole John Cain Arena gasped as Fritz rolled over and held his ankle in pain.
Soon, he took a medical timeout and returned to the game. Luckily for the American, he came back from two sets to one to win his ninth fifth-setter in his career.
However, during the post-match interview, the 26-year-old gave positive feedback on his ankle.
I'm happy they put me on Sunday because now I have two days to rest. Said Fritz
That’s not all; he also said that his ankle roll wasn’t that serious. As one of the players who came back from a devastating injury, the American won the match at a high cost but fortunately had some time to rest before his next match.
Taylor Fritz wins a challenging match to fix a spot in the second round of the Australian Open
The tennis world held its breath as Taylor Fritz got up from a bad fall and took a medical timeout to get his ankle checked. Soon, the fans let out a sigh of relief as Fritz admitted that his ankle roll wasn’t very serious.
Nonetheless, the American started his Australian Open run with a thriller of a match to set the mood. He won 4-6, 6-3, 3-6, 6-2, 6-4 to close out a 4-hour-long match that was nothing short of a roller-coaster ride.
Fritz now heads on to the next round of the tournament and will face the winners, Roberto Carballes Baena and Hugo Gaston. After a good run at the United Cup, the 26-year-old continues his form at the Australian Open and hopes to start the year with a good show.
Having no Slam wins to show for his career, the American would hope to only try and win one title this year.
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