Taylor Fritz entered the 2024 Eastbourne International as the top seed, ranked 13th on the ATP rankings at the time. His opponent in the final, Max Purcell, who entered as a qualifier, was ranked 81 places below him at the time.
Until the semifinal, Max Purcell dropped only one set in five matches, including the qualifiers. This dropped set was the second set against Laslo Djere in the first round. On the other hand, Taylor Fritz needed three tiebreaks in two matches since the second round to get to the semifinal.
Taylor Fritz Defeats Vukic With 2 Tiebreaks
Taylor Fritz and Aleksandar Vukic started the first set of their Eastbourne International semifinal clash with solid serves. Vukic held serve in his first two service games of the set, dropping just one point in the two games from an unforced error. Fritz’s third and fourth service games were flawless and lasted about six minutes combined, propped by three aces and a winner.
Aleksandar Vukic floundered in the 10th game of the set. This game produced the first breakpoint of the set which the Australian saved with a winner. Vukic eventually held his serve to tie the set at 5-5. The set eventually got to a tiebreak which Taylor Fritz won 7-5.
The second set was more of the same for both players. The solid serve continued in the set with Vukic forcing two errors from Fritz and hitting one ace to hold his serve in the third game of the set to love. Fritz created the first breakpoint opportunity of the set in the seventh game which Vukic saved. It took the Australian eight minutes to hold his serve.
In the ninth game, Fritz produced two breakpoint opportunities. Vukic saved both, and a third which came up later, before going on to hold his serve. In the 12th game, it was Taylor Fritz’s turn to come from a breakpoint down to hold his serve and force a second-set tiebreak. The Americans won the tiebreak to reach the final.
Harris’ Elite Eastbourne Run Ended
Billy Harris’ defeat to Max Purcell is the Brit’s first loss after three wins sent him into his first-ever ATP semifinal. Purcell started coming after Harris’ serve from the first game of the first set. The Australian created the set’s first breakpoint opportunity which Harris saved to hold his serve.
Purcell then saved three game points in the third game of the set and took advantage of a winner and two unforced errors from Harris to break the Brit’s serve. Max Purcell stayed on serve to win the set 6-4. True to form, the qualifier raced to within two breakpoints in the first game of the second set. Harris then upped his game, pulling out two winners and two aces from his magician hat to hold his serve.
Purcell’s ferocity on returns came to the fore again in the fifth game, where he produced three breakpoint opportunities, helped by two Harris double faults and an unforced error. Harris dug himself out of the ditch with three consecutive winners to hold his serve. Billy Harris eventually broke Purcell’s serve in the 10th game of the set to force a third and deciding set.
In the third game of the third set, Purcell broke Harris’ serve to take the advantage on the Brit. The Australian then had to save two breakpoints on his serve to hold serve and consolidate his lead. Both players stayed on serve till Purcell eventually served out the match to reach the final.
Taylor Fritz Vs Max Purcell Head-2-Head
The first clash between Taylor Fritz and Max Purcell occurred in the 2023 first round of the Basel Open. Two tiebreaks had been required to separate them in a match Taylor Fritz won. Purcell had hit one ace more than the 12 aces Taylor Fritz hit, but he had succumbed to six double faults along the way.
Both players had broken each other’s serves twice across the match but Taylor Fritz had performed better on return, scoring 12 more points on second serve return than Max Purcell’s 12 points. Taylor Fritz won the first set tiebreak 9-7 and the second set tiebreak 7-4.
Felix Auger-Aliassime eventually defeated Hubert Hurkacz in the final of the 2023 Basel Open. In the quarterfinals, he had defeated Alexander Shevchenko who had knocked Taylor Fritz out in the second round.
For More Great Content
Check out all the great content Total Apex Sports has to offer. Check us out on X @TotalApexSports and our other sites: Total Apex Sports Bets and Total Apex Fantasy Sports.