BY JAMES BECK
Taylor Fritz has finally made it to the top of the game, the American Grand Slam event. He is capable of even winning this U.S. Open.
But if his semifinal five-set survival against fellow American Frances Tiafoe was difficult, wait until he steps into the tennis ring against Jannik Sinner in Sunday’s U.S. Open men’s final.
Sinner will present a much more diversified game, a little different from the sometimes dull hit-and-return game that Tiafoe tossed at Fritz. The key is Sinner’s durability. If he has it for the entire distance, world’s No. 1 Sinner likely will earn a second Grand Slam title.
SINNER IS EVERYWHERE
Sinner, at 6-4, covers the court like a long-legged deer. He’s everywhere.
Fritz covers the same terrain, but in a different manner, not quite as smooth as Sinner.
Sinner seems to thrive on opponents who simply try to outlast him in rallies. Opponents such as his semifinal victim, Jack Draper, seemed comfortable in just staying in games against Sinner until the tall Italian pulled the trigger on his big game and pushed Drapper to places on the court he couldn’t handle.
Sinner seemed like in each game just to be waiting to get in position to close out a set in his straight-set 7-5, 7-6 (3), 6-2 romp past Draper. The match wasn’t as close as the score.
FRITZ HAPPY TO TAKE HIS TIME
Fritz is a 6-5, 26-year-old who hits hard, too, but not quite with the same cutting efficiency as Sinner. Fritz seemed to be perfectly happy to play a lose-one, win-one match with Tiafoe until it came time to win two sets in a row to close out their five-set semifinal for at, 4-6, 7-5, 4-6, 6-4, 6-1.
Watching the matches on my laptop since ESPN had bailed out on Direct TV at a really awkward time for many tennis fans, the matches seemed a little less exciting but still entertaining. At least, you didn’t need to listen to the McEnroe-plus gang or go directly to the mute button. Yet, I still missed their chatter at times.
WATCHING TENNIS AND FOOTBALL
It’s tennis, not a football game where the announcers are so important in keeping you up with what’s happening on the field.
It’s a little more relaxing to unplug your laptop and sit in a recliner with the laptop in your lap, and watch tennis. You can even sit back between tennis games and watch your favorite college football team playing on the big TV.
—
James Beck was the 2003 winner of the USTA National Media Award for print media. A 1995 MBA graduate of The Citadel, he can be reached at Jamesbecktennis@gmail.com.
