Taylor Fritz showcased a dominant serving performance to secure his initial triumph against Lorenzo Musetti in three seasons, commencing his ATP Finals journey impressively.
The American, currently ranked sixth globally, Fritz, defeated the Italian player with scores of 6-3, 6-4 amidst an enthusiastic audience in Turin.
Fritz, who finished as the runner-up to Jannik Sinner the previous year, conceded merely three points on his serve during the second set, with two of these occurring in the concluding game.
Musetti, seeded ninth, received confirmation of his participation in the season-culminating tournament only on Sunday, following Novak Djokovic’s withdrawal subsequent to his victory over Musetti in the Athens Open final.
He encountered four early chances to break Fritz’s serve but was unable to capitalize on them before experiencing fatigue, with seven out of his nine service games reaching deuce.
“Initially, I felt somewhat unsteady and allowed him excessive control,” Fritz, aged 28, conveyed to Sky Sports.
“There was a degree of nervousness on my part, which is understandable. Subsequently, I believe I managed to relax and began performing considerably better.”
