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Taylor Fritz Cincinnati Open 2022
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‘I feel like an idiot’ – Taylor Fritz embarrassed by US Open exit


Taylor Fritz feels foolish for thinking he could go all the way at the US Open after crashing out in the first round to a qualifier ranked outside the ATP top 300. 

The Indian Wells champion took on fellow American Brandon Holt, losing 7-6 (7-3), 6-7 (1-7), 6-3, 6-4 on Grandstand.

After a run to the quarter-finals of Wimbledon and solid showings in Montreal and Cincinnati, Fritz was of course bitterly disappointed to fall at the first hurdle in New York.

“It sucks, feels awful,” Fritz admitted in his post-match press conference. “I’ve been playing really well, had really high hopes. I feel like an idiot for thinking that I could win this thing, win the US Open.

“I can’t go out and play a match like that. It sucks. I feel awful. Just my level tonight is just not kind of what I’ve come to expect of myself as a player. To be honest, a lot of times in a match like this I can get away with playing like that, kind of toughing it out.

“A lot of credit to Brandon. He played a lot of really good points. He honestly played well.”

 

 

Holt, aged 24 like Fritz, is making his Slam main draw debut after coming through qualifying with the support of proud mother and two-time US Open champion Tracy Austin.

Ranked 303rd in the world, Holt is now provisionally ranked 215th in the ATP live rankings, as he takes on Argentinian world number 66 Pedro Cachin in the next round.

His victory over Fritz was a first at tour level, just like 20-year-old Ukrainian qualifier Daria Snigur’s win against Simona Halep.

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