Taylor Fritz beats Tommy Paul 6-2 6-3 in Delray Beach The first player to win back to back titles at this event since 1997. ✅7th career title Great week. 🇺🇸
Taylor FRITZ dominates All-American showdown, secures back-to-back Delray Beach title defeating Tommy PAUL
ATPMonday, 19 February 2024 at 20:21
Taylor
Fritz lived up to the favoritism against his compatriot Tommy Paul (No. 14)
with a 6-2, 6-3 victory, securing the Delray Beach Open trophy for the second
consecutive time. The two-time champion of the tournament balanced the
head-to-head record to 3-2 and avenged their last encounter, which Paul won in
a third-set tie-break one year ago at the Acapulco Open.
In the
semifinals, four local players competed, with Fritz defeating Marcos Giron in
straight sets, and Paul doing the same against Frances Tiafoe. Despite the
final appearing evenly matched, Fritz demonstrated much more consistency in the
match and emerged as a deserving winner in Delray Beach.
It was
anticipated that one of the keys to the match for both players would be
showcasing their best serving, considering that both rarely concede breaks to
their opponents. Paul didn't even allow a break opportunity in the semifinals
against Tiafoe.
In the
first set, both players showed nervousness from the first serve. Fritz had only
a 45% first-serve percentage, although he won 80% of them and 75% with the
second serve. Paul's numbers were particularly deficient for a player of his
caliber, hitting only 37% of his first serves, winning 60% of them, and only
47% with the second serve.
The first
break opportunity came in the fourth game, which Fritz capitalized on to take a
3-1 lead. With the score 4-2 in favor of Fritz, he faced 0-40 and conceded
three break points, but he saved each one of them. After the missed
opportunities, Paul once again struggled with his serve, conceding a new
opportunity that Fritz quickly seized to take a 6-2 lead.
Although
both had their chances, mainly due to errors from the opponent's serve, Fritz
was more effective in crucial points. The second set remained close in the
early games, and the first break opportunities came in favor of Paul in the
fifth game, but once again, he was unable to capitalize on them.
The most
contested game was the seventh with Fritz serving, involving 22 points, where
he eventually held his serve. In the following game, Paul couldn't hold on in
the match, and Fritz took his third break opportunity to secure the decisive
lead at 5-3. He ultimately closed out the set 6-3 to retain the title for the
second consecutive time with a convincing 6-2, 6-3 victory.
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