Heavyweight rematch

Diallo gets another chance against Fritz, this time at home...

Diallo looked like he was heading for a decider against Gigante but managed to take set 2 in a tiebreak after being down 2-5 and saving two set points. It was not his best match, but I thought he was pretty good on Serve (as expected) as well as at the net. He did pretty well on the return itself as well, but will need to improve in the rallies; he was pretty shaky off both wings! Fritz had a tough opening round against RCB as a big favorite and has stated multiple times how hard it is to control the balls (something we have been able to see in the matches overall, a high UE ratio compared to winners and many double faults). I thought RCB played a pretty decent match, and Fritz did a good job of "grinding it out," even if the scoreline does not look too good!

OK, we have a match between two Big Servers. Diallo is listed as a Big Server / All-Court Player (good in forecourt and net), where Fritz is a Big Server / Attacking Baseliner. I think their first serves are pretty equal, but in general, Fritz is a lot more solid with his second serve and in the rallies themselves. We could see this at Wimbledon, where there was a significant difference in second-serve points won, favoring Fritz. Now, with the tough conditions, who has the advantage? If it's hard to control the ball and go for winners, being able to close points at the net is great (Diallo). However, you still need to have a good shot before approaching the net; otherwise, there's a significant risk of getting passed or lobbed. Diallo will need to avoid extended rallies since Fritz is more solid in those (Fritz 50w 16ue, Diallo 55w 50ue in Wimbledon meeting). It's also essential he has a decent serving day so he can follow those good serves up at the net and use his advantage there! To his advantage, he is facing a Fritz who is not confident in the conditions, compared to a Fritz who was in prime form on grass at Wimbledon, although Diallo was also in excellent form during that period. Finally, I want to mention the motivational aspect... Fritz complained about the schedule recently, how he was "forced" to play in Washington and that he would have preferred to take a small break after grass season, especially with the US Open coming soon and before that, Cincinnati in the US. There is a slight sense that some Americans may be a bit less motivated here, having their eyes set on Cincinnati and the USO, especially if they are feeling fatigued and not liking the conditions here...