Taylor Fritz of the United States is all set for another Wimbledon appearance, starting Monday itself. Scheduled for 10.30 AM EST, Fritz will take on Germany’s Yannick Hanfmann in the Round of 128 on Court 1 at SW19. While the weather is expected to be cloudy in London at the time, it is unlikely that the match would be affected much by rain. This makes the clash one of the most anticipated during the day.
Fritz has a point to prove on grass, having missed out last year at the quarterfinals stage, despite being in tremendous form. The 9th seed lost to the then-reigning French Open champion, Rafael Nadal in a thrilling 5-setter. This year, he is in the same draw as World No.1 Carlos Alcaraz, German star Alexander Zverev and fellow American, Francis Tiafoe, which means that he will need to give it more than his 100% in each clash to better his 2022 performance.
Few worries for Taylor Fritz ahead of Wimbledon 2023?
Taylor Fritz needs to believe that a change of court and conditions would change his fortunes. If Grand Slam performances are taken as a barometer of success, then it is safe to say that he has not had a great 2023 so far. And here is where things might get interesting on Monday.
Fritz lost in the second round of the Australian Open in January this year, as the unseeded Alex Popyrin of Australia produced one of the earliest upsets of the competition in another 5-set thriller. While at the French Open, the American star was knocked out by Argentina’s Francisco Cerendulo in a 4-set match.
Despite these losses, Fritz was expected to warm up well for the Wimbledon Championships. However, he could only manage one win each in the Stuttgart and the Queen’s Championships respectively, while he recently lost to fellow American, Mark MacDonald in straight sets in the first round recently at the Eastbourne International tournament.
It is these setbacks that have plummeted Taylor Fritz’s ATP ranking from No.5 to No.9 within just 2-3 months. Fritz has won 1 ATP title this year, being otherwise fairly consistent in competitions.
Who is Yannick Hanfmann? More about Taylor Fritz’s Wimbledon 2023 opponent
Yannick Hanfmann is ranked 45th in the world on the ATP Tour, aged 31. Interestingly, he weighs the same as Fritz (86 kg) and is just one inch shorter in height than him, i.e., standing tall at 6 foot 4 inches. Hanfmann might be a name largely unknown amongst pundits of the game and enthusiasts in general, but Taylor Fritz is one person who will remember it for long.
Hanfmann and Fritz have played against each other once on the Tour. At the Rome Masters earlier this year, Hanfmann stunned audiences by knocking out the World No.9 in straight sets, 6-4, 6-1 in the Round of 64 itself. The German player, who has notched up 35 out of 52 wins this season, also recently beat Stefanos Tsitsipas in Mallorca, making the semi-finals of that competition.
As a result, it would be safe to say that Yannick Hanfmann will be Taylor Fritz’s first biggest test at the Wimbledon 2023. With the German’s fast serve and powerful ground strokes to counter, Fritz may need a different strategy and some extra motivation to avoid another Grand Slam upset. However, playing on grass, Fritz will have the advantage especially given his Grand Slam experience.
All things considered, Taylor Fritz should be able to beat Hanfmann in four sets to proceed to the next round.
