"I'd say it's in the same ballpark" - Rafael Nadal Wimbledon clash in same league as US Open QF match against Novak Djokovic, says Taylor Fritz

Taylor Fritz has stated that his upcoming US Open quarterfinal clash with Novak Djokovic is on the same level as his 2022 Wimbledon Champions last-eight match against Rafael Nadal.

On Sunday, Fritz took on Dominic Stricker in a Round of 16 clash at the Louis Armstrong Stadium. The World No. 9 was barely troubled as he registered a 7-6(2), 6-4, 6-4 win, his fourth consecutive straight-sets victory in New York this year.

Next up for Fritz is a quarterfinal clash with Djokovic, an opponent he has faced seven times on the ATP tour to date. At a press conference after the win against Stricker, the 25-year-old was asked if the clash with the Serbian was the biggest match of his career so far.

"I mean, yeah, it's on par with quarterfinals, Rafa [Nadal], Wimbledon [2022], then maybe finals Indian Wells [2022], Rafa. I'd say it's in the same ballpark. They're definitely top three," Fritz replied.

At Wimbledon last year, Nadal and Fritz locked horns in the quarterfinals. Despite clearly struggling physically, the Spaniard powered through to win 3-6, 7-5, 3-6, 7-5, 7-6(4) in four hours and 20 minutes.

This clash came not long after the pair faced off in the final of the Indian Wells Masters, where Fritz emerged victorious, with the former World No. 1 again struggling with an injury.

With Fritz trailing Djokovic 7-0 in the head-to-head stats, the American is eager to get his first win against the 23-time Grand Slam champion at Flushing Meadows.

"Novak's Novak. It's tough. I said it on court: he's gotten me seven times. There's no one on tour that has any kind of a record like that against me, so I'm hoping one of these times I've got to get him. US Open quarters would be a pretty good time to get him," he said in his press conference.

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Three American men reach US Open QF for the first time since 2005 as Taylor Fritz joins Ben Shelton and Frances Tiafoe in the last eight

Taylor Fritz at the 2023 US Open.

With Taylor Fritz joining Ben Shelton and Frances Tiafoe in the quarterfinals of the 2023 US Open, this is the first time since 2005 that three American men have made it this far at the New York Major.

In 2005, Andre Agassi, James Blake, and Robby Ginepri reached the quarters at Flushing Meadows with Round of 16 wins against Xavier Malisse, Tommy Robredo, and Richard Gasquet, respectively.

Blake and Agassi went head-to-head in the quarterfinals, with the latter winning in five sets. Ginepri, on the other hand, defeated Guillermo Coria to reach the semifinals. In an all-American last-four clash, Agassi defeated Ginepri to reach the championships match, where he lost to Roger Federer.

This year, Fritz, Shelton, and Tiafoe will be hoping to emulate Agassi from 2005, and even go a step further. While Fritz is scheduled to take on Novak Djokovic for a place in the semifinals, Shelton and Tiafoe will face off in a clash of the compatriots.