In an All-American opening round battle at the Abierto Mexicano Acapulco event,
Taylor Fritz toppled compatriot
John Isner on Monday night to reach the round of 16.
Fritz required almost two hours to pull off the 3-6 6-3 6-4 victory, relying on his impressive serve to match that of his opponent. Isner was clinical in the first set, winning 20 of 24 points behind his serve and not facing a break point. The 6'10 giant obtained a crucial break at the third time of asking, and never looked back as he escaped with the opener.
However, it was Fritz who dominated on serve in the second set, winning two-thirds of Isner's second serve points to secure the sole break and even the match at one set apiece. The newly-minted World No.5 kept his foot on the gas heading into the deciding set, where he obtained another break to close out the match after an hour and 53 minutes.
Following his victory over Isner, Fritz is now tied at 3-3 in career meetings with his veteran countryman. The 25-year old will advance to another round of 16, where he hopes to keep his winning streak going after lifting the title at the Delray Beach Open last week.