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By Richard Pagliaro | @Tennis_Now | Friday, Could 3, 2024
Taylor Fritz slipped out of the Madrid semifinals.
After bowing to Andrey Rublev 6-4, 6-3 in right this moment’s Mutua Madrid Open semifinals, Fritz cited two obstacles that ended his Madrid run.
More: Brave Rybakina Saves Match Points, Into Madrid SF
First, Rublev’s rocket serve displaced Fritz and arrange the Russian’s fierce first-strike forehand.
Secondly, Fritz could not at all times maintain his toes defending out of the corners.
Afterward, Fritz instructed the media in Madrid the Manolo Santana Stadium courtroom may use extra clay.
The truth is, he stated typically he may hear the squeal of his sneaker on the laborious floor beneath the crimson mud when sliding.
“I imply, I do know for a truth that there’s not as a lot clay on heart than all the opposite courts,” Fritz instructed the media in Madrid. “I can actually, once I’m taking little steps, I can hear my toes squeaking as a result of it is hitting the laborious floor beneath the clay.
“I felt each time I used to be type of making an attempt to take an explosive step, which was quite a bit as a result of he was pulling me thus far off the courtroom together with his serve, I needed to take some fairly aggressive steps to get again into the courtroom, I used to be simply slipping quite a bit.”
Final week, Olympic gold-medal champion and Tennis Channel analyst Monica Puig described her days of enjoying in Madrid as if feeling she was “enjoying on a tough courtroom with clay on high.”
Fritz stated Manolo Santana Stadium Courtroom is “positively slower and fairly slippery” in comparison with Arantxa Sanchez Stadium.
“I imply, it is usually fairly awkward once I’m shifting, however I felt much more awkward,” Fritz stated. “I felt further awkward shifting right this moment. I felt like I used to be attending to quite a lot of balls just a bit late or off steadiness, and it simply wasn’t flowing for me.
“However like I stated, he served very nicely and I did not serve so nicely. So it is, you already know, it is one thing I can management.”
Photograph credit score: Matthew Calvis
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