Taylor Fritz was made to wait for an opening victory at Wimbledon, in which he defeated Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard.
Wimbledon was criticised for suspending Fritz’s match with Mpetshi Perricard on Monday, when the tournament’s curfew came into play.
Fritz didn’t like his match suspension, having just taken the momentum after coming from two sets down to level it at 2-2.
But American ace Fritz returned to the court on Tuesday to edge past the Frenchman 6-7(6-8), 6-7(8-10), 6-4, 7-6(8-6), 6-4.
Court 1 at Wimbledon played host to the thriller, with ATP number five Fritz battling into round two at the All England Club.
Taylor Fritz suggests the change he would like to be made with the Wimbledon courts
The fifth seed at the grass court Grand Slam, Fritz now takes on Gabriel Diallo in the second round at SW19.
Shortly after his opening win, however, he was asked in his press conference if Wimbledon have got the balance right with the speed of the courts.
Fritz responded: “I think the speed is pretty solid. I do think the courts, one thing I have realised this year that I haven’t realised before, with all the tournaments that I have been playing, is that I do feel like the grass is getting slower the more it gets played on.
“It almost plays a little faster when it’s newer. I do feel like last year in the quarter-finals it was so slow. But it’s definitely in a decent spot. I am biased. I would like it a little bit faster but as long as they don’t make it slower I think it’s fine.”
Why Taylor Fritz can take huge confidence from Wimbledon win vs Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard
Fritz entered Wimbledon in better form than most, having clinched his fourth Eastbourne title right before heading to London.
The 27-year-old is now into double digits for ATP Tour titles, and will be keen to maintain his momentum to mount a serious challenge at SW19 this month.
He has only ever managed to reach the quarter-finals of the Grand Slam, while his 2024 US Open runner-up spot remains his best finish at that level overall.
But Fritz can take great confidence from his opening win over Mpetshi Perricard, who represented a huge threat to the American.
Among his superb efforts, the Frenchman fired down the fastest serve in the entire history of Wimbledon.
He used all of his 6’8” frame to launch a 153 mph (246 km/h) rocket, breaking the previous record by five miles per hour.
But Fritz can take further confidence from not only returning that stunning serve, but remarkably winning the point.
Court 1 was certainly fast at that moment in time, but the American showed just how capable he is of playing on such a surface.
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