Taylor Fritz pulled off an upset victory against Daniil Medvedev in the highly anticipated "million dollar match" at the 2022 Diriyah Tennis Cup in Saudi Arabia.
The 25-years-old American, who was seeded fourth in Diriyah, emerged victorious in a tightly contested match, winning 7-6(5), 7-6(3) in an hour and 52 minutes.
In a match that lived up to its billing, both players put on a high-level performance, with neither player able to gain a significant advantage over the other. Medvedev had six break points in the first set, but was unable to convert any of them, while Fritz did not have any break points throughout the match.
Despite not being able to convert his break points, Medvedev put on a strong performance, hitting 10 aces. However, Fritz was able to match him shot for shot, finishing the match with nine aces of his own.
In the end, it was Fritz's ability to win the crucial points in the tiebreaks that proved to be the difference, as he took the first set 7-6(5) and then followed it up with a 7-6(3) victory in the second set to secure the win.
The victory is a major accomplishment for Fritz, who had a really strong end of the 2022 ATP season and his victory with star-studded field at an exhibition event proves his qualities further more. He will look to build on this win and continue his strong form as the 2023 season starts soon.
Fritz will be awarded $1 million in prize money for winning the event, but Medvedev also doesn't have to be very sad as he will receive $500,000 for final participation.
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