Frances Tiafoe praised his improved serve after hitting 23 aces to defeat Swiss qualifier Dominic Stricker in the second round of Wimbledon. Tiafoe, the tenth seed, won the match 7-6(11) 6-4 6-2 and showcased consistent precision in his serving, winning 89% of his first serve points. He credited his serve as the aspect of his game that he has worked on the most in the past year, stating that it has helped him get out of trouble on numerous occasions.
Tiafoe admitted that he was slightly wasteful in the first set, missing two break points and a set point. However, he managed to win the set in a tiebreak after saving four set points. He acknowledged that the first set was crucial and allowed him to loosen up and play more aggressively. Tiafoe reflected on his performance, saying that he started swinging more and moving his opponent around the court.
Although the second set was more straightforward, Tiafoe faced a challenging moment in the third set when he was close to being broken. However, he saved himself by hitting another ace and then went on to break Stricker with a backhand winner. Tiafoe will now face Grigor Dimitrov, the Bulgarian 21st seed, in the next round. He acknowledged that the competition will become tougher from this point on and expressed excitement about facing talented opponents.
In contrast to Tiafoe’s success, fellow American Taylor Fritz was eliminated from the tournament. Fritz, the ninth seed and a quarter-finalist last year, was taken to five sets by Mikael Ymer of Sweden and ultimately lost the match. Ymer made an incredible comeback after being two sets and a break down, winning the match 3-6 2-6 6-3 6-4 6-2. Other American players, including Michael Mmoh, Benjamin Shelton, and J.J. Wolf, were also knocked out of the tournament. However, Tommy Paul, the 16th seed, managed to defeat Milos Raonic, a finalist in 2016, and advance to the third round.
Marcos Giron, another American player, was in the midst of a comeback against Marton Fucsovics when their match was suspended due to bad light. Giron had won the third set after losing the first two sets. Overall, it was a mixed day for American players at Wimbledon.
The article was reported by Aadi Nair in Bengaluru and edited by Ken Ferris, adhering to The Thomson RushHourDaily Trust Principles.
