Taylor Fritz underscored the significant changes in his and Jenson Brooksby’s careers since their last Grand Slam encounter, reports AP.
Fritz required less than two hours to secure a commanding first-round victory over Brooksby at the Australian Open.
Seeded fourth, Fritz was the U.S. Open runner-up last year and recently contributed to the U.S. team’s United Cup triumph in Sydney.
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On Tuesday at John Cain Arena, Fritz claimed a decisive 6-2, 6-0, 6-3 win over fellow American Brooksby, who was competing in his first event in two years.
Brooksby, ranked No. 52 under a protected ranking following dual wrist surgeries in 2023, earned a place in the main draw of the year’s opening Grand Slam. He managed a remarkable lunging, angled backhand to save a match point, but the contest concluded swiftly.
The 24-year-old Brooksby previously defeated Fritz in their sole meeting at the 2021 U.S. Open, where he reached the fourth round as a wildcard. Now, as Brooksby considers his next steps on the comeback trail, Fritz aims to extend his run in Melbourne, where he reached the quarterfinals last year—a breakthrough moment that set the stage for his 2024 successes.
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“I guess the first Slam match comes with some nerves,” Fritz reflected. “But I handled it well.”
In women’s play, No. 8 seed Emma Navarro needed 3 hours and 20 minutes to overcome fellow American Peyton Stearns 6-7 (5), 7-6 (5), 7-5. Down 5-3 in the final set, Navarro rallied to win on Rod Laver Arena in her debut there, completing her set of Grand Slam center-court appearances.
After the gruelling match, Navarro expressed her relief, telling the crowd, “Crazy match today. I just kept telling myself to make the most of what I had. Maybe it wasn’t my best, but she put up a really good fight. Really happy to just get the win.”
Emma Raducanu, the 2021 U.S. Open champion, prioritised victory over style in her first-round match. The 22-year-old Brit celebrated a 7-6 (4), 7-6 (2) win over No. 26 seed Ekaterina Alexandrova on Court 3, where British flags waved gently in the breeze.
Playing her first match since November, Raducanu overcame 15 double faults, 30 unforced errors, and a weak second-serve performance. However, her 22 winners and nine aces secured her passage to the second round.
Raducanu’s preparation had been interrupted by minor back trouble and an unusual incident involving ant bites, which she refused treatment for to avoid anti-doping complications.
Despite struggles, Raducanu dominated in critical moments, breaking Alexandrova’s serve as needed and clinching both tiebreaks, including a commanding 6-0 lead in the second.
Since her historic Grand Slam triumph, Raducanu hasn’t surpassed the fourth round at a major but has consistently reached the Australian Open’s third round in the last three years. She now faces Amanda Anisimova, who defeated Maria Carle 6-2, 6-3.
Elsewhere, ninth-seeded Daria Kasatkina dispatched Viktoriya Tomova 6-1, 6-3 after losing the first game.
In early men’s results, No. 19 Karen Khachanov beat Adrian Mannarino 7-6 (5), 6-3, 6-3, while Matteo Berrettini, a 2022 semifinalist, defeated Cameron Norrie 6-7 (4), 6-4, 6-1, 6-3.