Top Seed Fritz Overcomes Norrie Challenge To Keep ATP Finals Hopes Alive In Tokyo

Taylor Fritz bested Cameron Norrie in the first round of the 2023 Japan Open, keeping his ATP Finals hopes alive.

It doesn't happen too often that two Top 20 players would meet in the first-round match, but that's what happened in Tokyo as the world no. 10 Fritz took on world no. 18 Norrie.

The match was very important for both players. While the Brit is trying to find his top form, Fritz is still fighting for the ATP Finals spot as he's currently the ninth man in the 2023 ATP Race.

His chances massively increased after Alexander Zverev surprisingly lost already in the first round, as the German occupies the seventh spot in the 2023 ATP Race, and with a trophy run in Tokyo, the American could overtake him.

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But to do that, he first needed to overcome a challenge from Norrie, who was on a three-match losing streak coming to Tokyo, previously losing to Aslan Karatsev in Zhuhai, to Andrey Rublev in Beijing, and to J.J. Wolf in Shanghai.

But the start in Tokyo was much better for the Brit. He saved four break points, and used one of his three chances in the fifth game, to break his opponent's serve and lead 4-2 in the opening set.

But that number four would stay next to his name forever. Fritz would go on to win four consecutive games, not losing any more points on his serve in the first set, and win the first set 6-4.

The momentum shifted massively and it was palpable at the start of the second set. Fritz won 12 of the opening 13 rallies, building a quick 3-0 lead, a lead that his opponent would never chase down.

As a result, Fritz won the match 6-4, 6-3 in an hour and 21 minutes to reach the second round of the 2023 Japan Open in Tokyo, and most importantly, keep his ATP Finals hopes alive.

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