Photo Source: TTV
Taylor Fritz steps on the center court at Eastbourne and knows everything is going to be alright. There are challenges to be faced, and doubts to be overcome, but it just seems simpler at the place he has won three trophies at.
The American converted his third consecutive three-set win on Friday, defeating Spain’s Alejandro Davidovich Fokina 3-6, 6-3, 6-1, to book a spot in Saturday’s final against Jenson Brooksby.
As Radiohead once said, no surprises.
“I think just showing up here, being on site here, playing on center court, I always just feel like things are going to work out for me, because they kind of always do here, for some reason, so I do have that bit of confidence.”
Fritz had to dial in his game after dropping the middle set to the talented Spaniard on the strength of a single break.
He returned to form in the third and saved both break points he faced as he converted two of his own.
“It’s easy in the second set to start panicking a little bit,” Fritz said. “He was playing some good return games and I wasn’t really getting good looks on the return, so it’s easy to panic when the things that were working for me weren’t really working anymore.
“I had to just take a moment and just think it out, make some changes and commit to some shots. Luckily I was able to execute.”
Fritz will face Jenson Brooksby, who took out Ugo Humbert (), in the final. The pair have split their two meetings with Fritz winning the last of the two earlier this year in straight sets, at the Australian Open.
Lucky loser Brooksby, ranked 149, is into his fifth career final.