Fresh off helping the United States win the United Cup earlier in the year, Taylor Fritz begins his quest for a first singles Grand Slam title when he faces fellow American Jenson Brooksby in the opening round of the Australian Open.
In the last Grand Slam of 2024, Fritz lost the final of the US Open to Jannik Sinner in straight sets, while Brooksby will compete in his first tournament since receiving a lengthy suspension for missing three doping tests.
Match preview
© Imago
Several times last year, it looked like Fritz would finally break through and win a major tournament, but that first Grand Slam title eluded him every time.
The 27-year-old from California has made it to the last eight in four of the past five Grand Slam tournaments, with his first appearance in a singles final occurring in Flushing Meadows this past summer.
He has made it beyond the opening round in six consecutive Australian Open singles events and has not exited a Grand Slam tournament that early since the 2022 US Open when he was upset by Brandon Holt in four sets.
In two of his final three singles tournament matches on the hard court last year, Fritz was ousted in his opening match, losing to Jack Draper at the ATP Masters 1000 in Paris last October.
To this stage of the new year, he has won 79% of his first serve points on a hard court surface while boasting an impressive 90% regarding service games won.
On the other hand, the Rancho Palos Verdes resident has not been as great when off serve, winning a mere 17% of his return games on the hard court this year.
© Imago
After a lengthy spell away from the court, Jenson Brooksby is back and hoping to make up for so much lost time, beginning this week.
Although he denies ever doping, he accepted the ban levied on him by the International Tennis Integrity Agency, undergoing wrist surgery before that, which kept him out for over a dozen weeks.
The defensive baseliner, who specialises in winning baseline rallies, last competed in a Grand Slam singles event at the 2023 Aussie Open when American Tommy Paul took him out in straight sets.
While he has become renowned for his unorthodox style and shot mechanics, Brooksby has made it beyond the opening round in his last three Grand Slam tournaments.
It has been some time since he last played in a big event, though, and in 2023, he won 51% of his second return points but was only able to win 28% of his return games.
That same year, he won 81% of his service games and was able to save 68% of his break points while winning 62% of his total service points.
Head To Head
US Open (2021) - Second Round: Brooksby wins 7-7 (7) 7-6 (10) 7-5 6-2
In the only prior meeting between these two, Brooksby somehow persevered despite conceding 15 aces in the match, winning 69% of his first serve points, with Fritz only won 56% of his.
We say: Fritz to win in three sets
Given how long it has been since Brooksby competed in a tournament of this magnitude, we expect it will take some time for him to get acclimated to match situations.
He will be facing a man who has performed consistently well in Grand Slams recently and will be hungry to get that elusive major title sooner rather than later.
Joel Lefevre
