Taylor Fritz got off to a strong start at the ATP Finals in Turin with a straight-sets win over a frustrated Daniil Medvedev. The American, who reached the semi-finals on his debut two years ago, displayed a composed performance to secure a 6-4, 6-3 victory.
Medvedev, however, struggled to maintain his composure. He received a warning for smashing his racket after serving three consecutive double faults to end the first set. The Russian's frustration continued when a misjudged Fritz lob landed on the baseline, giving Fritz a crucial break for 4-2 in the second set. Medvedev responded by throwing his racket and swiping at a microphone, earning a point penalty.
The match soon concluded, with fifth seed Fritz determined to stay focused regardless of Medvedev's actions. "I definitely felt like at 5-3 he was going to reset and try as hard as he could to break me," Fritz said on Sky Sports. "It's very easy sometimes when someone's doing that to relax and think they're just going to be done. Then you drop your level. I just had to tell myself stay focused at 5-3, play a really good game because he was going to fight for that game. Luckily I served a great game."
In the day's other match, home favorite Jannik Sinner will face Alex de Minaur on Sunday evening.
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