Mpetshi Perricard's Feat: Frenchman Gets Revenge on Fritz in Shanghai
It's a memorable day for Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard, who brilliantly eliminated Taylor Fritz, a top 5 player, at the Shanghai Masters 1000.
After Ugo Humbert's loss to Holger Rune, a second French player was on the courts of the Shanghai Masters 1000 early in the day. This was Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard, facing Taylor Fritz.
The world number 37, who had defeated Luca Nardi in the previous round (6-3, 7-6), was this time up against the world number 4 player, who was a finalist at the ATP 500 in Tokyo against Carlos Alcaraz last week.
The task seemed daunting, especially since Mpetshi Perricard had come close to a major upset at Wimbledon during the summer. While leading two sets to zero, the Frenchman ultimately lost in a thrilling five-set match.
Fritz, for his part, had struggled immensely to overcome Fabian Marozsan (2-6, 7-6, 7-6). Perhaps fatigued by the consecutive matches he has just endured, Fritz did not deliver his best performance.
But this worked to Mpetshi Perricard's advantage. Lacking confidence in recent weeks, the 2.03m tall player was impeccable on his service games (no break points conceded, ten aces, and only two double faults), and managed to convert one break point in each set to secure the win (6-4, 7-5 in 1 hour and 24 minutes).
This victory allows him to erase the disappointment of Wimbledon and advance to the round of 16. He will face Holger Rune, against whom the Frenchman is tied in head-to-head matches (one win each).
Shanghai 
