Frances Tiafoe is known for his powerful shots but mentioned one WTA player who he claims hits better than anyone.
The 2022 US Open semi-finalist Frances Tiafoe looked set to become the first seed on the men’s side to fall at Wimbledon after losing the first two sets 7-6, 6-2 to the dynamic Italian Matteo Arnaldi.
After a few deep breaths and an impressive rise in the American’s level, he battled back to take the following three sets 6-1, 6-3, 6-3 to set up a contest against Borna Coric tomorrow.
No stranger to grabbing the headlines, Tiafoe followed up his victory with a number of striking quotes, including one about a certain WTA heavyweight.
Who did Tiafoe say was the best ball striker?
After fifth seed Jessica Pegula bulldozed past fellow American Ashlyn Krueger 6-2 6-0 in just 49 minutes, she spoke about her grass court form on The Tennis Channel via YouTube.
Prompted by co-pundit Martina Navratilova, she was asked: “Frances said you were the best ball striker on both tours, what’s your reaction to that?”
A smiling Pegula replied: “He also is like my biggest hype man, so I am just loaded with confidence whenever I hit with Frances. But I am glad that my practice helped him a bit.
“He said it was all me that got him through that match yesterday, I don’t think that’s true, but I’m glad I was able to help him a little bit at least.”
Can Jessica Pegula go all the way at Wimbledon?
The fierce, hard-hitting American has gained a disappointing reputation for tripping up at key moments at the majors, having never made it beyond the quarter-finals in her six visits to the last eight.
However, with a glistening win in Berlin to claim her first career grass-court title, it may be the perfect time for Pegula to stem this underwhelming streak.
With Serena Williams’ 2016 victory being the last time an American player found glory at the All-England Club, the stage is set for Pegula to finally reach her potential and take the crown back stateside.
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