Wimbledon: Fritz survives 109-game grind to reach third round
In a match that lasted three hours and six minutes, Fritz prevailed 3-6, 6-3, 7-6(0), 4-6, 6-3- his second consecutive five-set win in as many days. Having played a total of 109 games over his first two rounds, Fritz now holds the third-highest number of games played through the opening two rounds of Wimbledon since 2022.
Fritz, who recently won his fourth title at Eastbourne, was coming off another exhausting five-set win over France's Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard, whose thunderous serves- including the fastest in tournament history- tested the American's defences.
That match was interrupted due to the 11 p.m. curfew on June 30 and concluded on July 1, adding to the physical and mental strain Fritz has shouldered in recent days.
Facing Diallo, Fritz suffered a cut on his elbow after diving for a forehand in the fourth set, requiring a medical timeout. Yet, he pushed through the pain to clinch the deciding set and record his first win over Diallo on the Lexus ATP Head2Head.
Across the two marathon matches, Fritz has faced 63 aces- 37 from Mpetshi Perricard and 26 from Diallo- and has hit 56 aces of his own, underlining his fierce competitiveness and adaptability on grass.
The American will now get a well-deserved rest day before facing the winner of the suspended second-round match between 26th seed Alejandro Davidovich Fokina and Dutchman Botic van de Zandschulp. The Spaniard was leading 6-1, 4-6, 6-3, 5-5 when play was halted due to darkness.
Fritz's run is being closely followed by ATP Tour premier partner Emirates and platinum partner Infosys, who continue their support for tennis excellence and global fan engagement through technology and innovation.
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