“It stings… But don’t feel like I did too much wrong” – Beaten finalist Taylor Fritz pleased with performance at UTS Los Angeles
Taylor Fritz believes UTS Los Angeles was perfect preparation for the rest of his tennis year, and is comfortable with how he played despite losing in the final
For the second time in consecutive UTS events, Taylor Fritz has fallen one match short of lifting the lightening bolt trophy above his head.
After blowing a 2-0 quarter lead against Wu Yibing, “The Hotshot” has shared about his experience at UTS Los Angeles, and how it’s helped him prepare for the upcoming North American hardcourt swing.
“It’s a good week” – UTS Los Angeles perfect preparation for Fritz
When asked if he considers UTS Los Angeles as the start of his US tour this season, Taylor Fritz responded:
“Yeah definitely. Because it’s not like an exhibition. So I’m going to go back home tonight and recover just like I’d recover from any tournament, and get ready to go into the next one.”
Across the course of the three-day event, Fritz was one of the most serious competitors, regularly coming back from quarter deficits to win four matches in a row. Speaking about how the tournament has helped him prepare for the rest of the tennis season, the 25-year-old explained:
“I’m about to go to the East Coast where it’s really humid, and it’s going to be extremely tough physical conditions. So it’s just great to get some matches in, feel fit.
“I would have been here practicing and training, which I have been. So, why not get some competitive matches for a couple days? And it went well, I won four matches in a row.
“The training vs match play aspect of it is great. The confidence I was getting from winning matches and paying these high stakes pressure moments is something that you can’t repeat in practice, so it’s great.”
Next up, Taylor Fritz heads to Atlanta where he’ll be the top seed in the Atlanta Open this week.
Fritz comfortable with his approach at UTS Los Angeles despite loss
Given how contrasting UTS is to traditional tennis, it would be easy to fall for the trap of thinking that players aren’t really that invested in winning.
But talk to Taylor Fritz, and you’ll quickly realise that this is far from the case.
“We’re competing. Everyone really wanted to win, and it was physical, everyone was giving everything,” said Fritz.
“It stings. But I’d say what makes it sting less is that I had my chances, and I don’t feel like I did too much wrong,” the American explained, speaking about his loss.
“I made him play, and he came up with aggressive shots under pressure, so it is what it is.”
“The guy absolutely crushes the ball” – Fritz on Wu at UTS
Fritz does have one gripe with his experience at UTS Los Angeles, however, and that’s Wu Yibing’s nickname—The Great Wall.
“I’m going to be honest, that’s not the most fitting name,” said Fritz after his loss in the final to Wu Yibing.
“The guy absolutely crushes the ball. When you describe someone as a wall, you think of someone who kind of counterpunches. That’s not how he plays.”
Perhaps Fritz’s own moniker, The Hotshot, is a little more suitable for UTS’s latest champion.
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