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Match details
Fixture: (20) Taylor Fritz vs Frances Tiafoe
Date: 20 January 2022
Tournament: Australian Open 2022
Round: Second round (Round of 64)
Venue: Melbourne, Australia
Category: Grand Slam
Surface: Outdoor Hardcourt
Prize money: $75,000,000
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Eurosport | India - Sony Six, Sony Liv
Taylor Fritz vs Frances Tiafoe preview
Americans Taylor Fritz and Frances Tiafoe will cross paths in the second round of the Australian Open on Thursday.
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Fritz defeated Maximilian Marterer 7-6(8), 6-3, 6-2 in just under two hours in his first-round match on Tuesday.
The 24-year-old American was exquisite with his first serve, winning a whopping 88% of the points played on that shot.
Fritz also struck 16 aces and did not cough up any double faults. The World No. 22, who has never progressed beyond the third round of any Slam, struck the ball majestically against the German.
The 20th seed finished with a massive 48 winners while only leaking 17 unforced errors. Those numbers will hold him in good stead against Tiafoe.
Frances Tiafoe, meanwhile, endured a tougher time on court on Tuesday as he needed five sets to get past qualifier Marco Trungelliti. Tiafoe won 3-6, 6-4, 6-2, 3-6, 6-3 in just under three hours to register his first win of 2022 in three attempts.
The 23-year-old put forth a wasteful performance against the Argentine, squandering eight break point chances. Tiafoe also leaked 49 unforced errors, which nearly offset the 50 winners he struck.
The match was close and could have gone either way. In the end, it was one break of serve that separated the two players.
Taylor Fritz vs Frances Tiafoe head-to-head
Taylor Fritz leads Frances Tiafoe 2-1 in the head-to-head. Tiafoe won their first encounter at Indian Wells in 2016, and Fritz exacted revenge the same year at Winston-Salem.
Their most recent encounter was at the 2019 Paris Masters, where the older American prevailed in three sets.
Taylor Fritz vs Frances Tiafoe prediction
Even though Frances Tiafoe has a better record at the Australian Open, having finished as a quarterfinalist in 2019, he enters this match as the underdog.
Taylor Fritz has been in better form this year, with his only defeat in four matches coming against Alexander Zverev. The 20th seed beat Cameron Norrie and Felix Auger-Aliassime at the ATP Cup earlier this year.
After the consistent tennis he displayed against Marterer, it would be difficult to look beyond a win for Fritz. That said, Tiafoe could certainly make things difficult for his compatriot, given that he plays some of his best tennis on the pacy courts at Melbourne Park.
Prediction: Fritz to win in four sets.
Also check out: Updated ATP Men's Tennis Rankings
