Moutet Saves Match Point and Overcomes Fritz to Reach Queen’s Quarterfinals
As part of the conclusion of the first round at the ATP 500 Queen’s tournament, qualifier Corentin Moutet faced a tough opponent in Taylor Fritz. Fresh off his title win last week in Stuttgart, where he defeated Alexander Zverev in the final, the American had climbed back into the top 4 and arrived in the English capital brimming with confidence.
On paper, the match seemed lopsided, but it turned out to be highly competitive. Both players were solid on serve, conceding very few break points. As a result, two tiebreaks were inevitable.
After an hour of play, Fritz, riding the momentum of his successful run in Germany, took the lead by winning the first tiebreak 7-5. The second set followed a similar script, with neither player managing to create a break opportunity.
In the tiebreak, Moutet surged ahead to lead 6-3, but Fritz rallied with four consecutive points to earn a match point on his serve. However, with his back against the wall, Moutet dug deep to level the match (9-7).
Mentally shaken, Fritz dropped his opening service game in the third set on the Frenchman’s first break point of the decider. Moutet, who entertained the crowd with his flashy play as usual, remained steady on serve and held until 5-4 before being broken at the worst possible moment.
But Moutet refused to relent, breaking Fritz right back and then sealing the victory on the next game (6-7, 7-6, 7-5 in 2h54) to advance to the quarterfinals, where he will face Jacob Fearnley.
The British player defeated Alex Bolt (6-2, 6-4) and, it’s worth noting, has never lost to a French opponent since turning professional. The 26-year-old Moutet will aim to be the first to change that.
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