Taylor Fritz advances to quarterfinals, defeats Milos Raonic in thrilling clash

Wednesday, 19 June 2024 at 21:12

Taylor Fritz (No. 12) stopped Milos Raonic (No. 186) in an exciting clash. The American secured his spot in the quarterfinals after winning 7-6(5), 6-4 in an hour and 24 minutes. Fritz will now face Jordan Thompson, who advanced following Andy Murray's retirement.

Unfortunately for Raonic, he couldn't replicate the impressive level he showed in the first round against Cam Norrie, where he set a historic record with 47 aces in a three-set match. This time, the Canadian had 'only' 9 aces and added three double faults, compared to Fritz's 11 aces with no double faults.

Tight first set decided by tie-break

The match began with Raonic receiving strong support from the crowd and delivering powerful service games. The Canadian won the first 13 points played on his serve consecutively but couldn't trouble Fritz on the return. The parity continued into a thrilling tiebreak, where Raonic led 5-3 but lost the last four points in a row.

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In the second set, Raonic created three break opportunities in the fourth game, but Fritz saved them all despite being 0-40 down. Fritz faced no further issues on his serve and converted his only break point in the 9th game, then held serve to close the set and secure the win, 7-6(5), 6-4.

In the quarterfinals, Fritz will face Jordan Thompson, who advanced after playing five games in the second-round match against Andy Murray. The 5-time Queen’s champion bid farewell to his home crowd after exiting with a lower back injury.