Tsitsipas outlasts Fritz to reach quarter-finals

Melbourne, Jan. 25 (BUS): Fourth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas survived a battle of attrition in the fourth round with American Taylor Fritz on Monday, coming back twice from a late set to win 4-6, 6-4, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4. Reaching the quarter-finals of the Australian Open.

Just at midnight at Rod Laver Arena, the Greek ended Fritz’s resistance to face Italian Yannick Sener as he seeks to reach the semi-finals here for the third time in his career, Reuters reports.

Tsitsipas looked weird and exciting at times, but his vast experience on the big stage eventually told him he got the crucial break in the fifth set before claiming the win.

Playing in his first fourth Grand Slam tournament, Fritz converted just two of his 15 break points, and will regret a missed opportunity to become the first American man to reach a Grand Slam quarter-final in two years.

“It was an epic match and that’s all I can say. I gave everything on the field today,” the 23-year-old said. “I am proud of the way I fought.

“I’m exhausted. It’s too good to be true. I knew it was going to be physical, and I knew I had to be patient and in the end it paid off.”

MI