TEEN TENNIS SENSATION TAYLOR FRITZ, & RYAN HARRISON BOTH PULL OFF UPSETS TO REACH ACAPULCO SECOND ROUND BY RICKY DIMON

Written by: Staff on 23rd February 2016

TEEN TENNIS SENSATION TAYLOR FRITZ, & RYAN HARRISON BOTH PULL OFF UPSETS TO REACH ACAPULCO SECOND ROUND BY RICKY DIMON

epa05159320 Taylor Fritz of the US pumps his fist after winning a point from Ricardas Berankis of Lithuania in the semifinals of the Memphis Open tennis championship at the Racquet Club of Memphis in Memphis, Tennessee, USA, 13 February 2016. EPA/TANNEN MAURY |

There will be a new youngest player in the top 100 next week and his name is Taylor Fritz. The 18-year-old American, currently residing at No. 102 in the rankings, continued his meteoric rise with a 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 defeat of eighth-seeded Jeremy Chardy during first-round action at the Abierto Mexicano Telcel on Tuesday evening.

Fritz had to qualify to get in the main draw and the points from that accomplishment likely would have sent him into the top 100 regardless of the result against Chardy. But that victory clinches it; in fact, Fritz is projected to climb to at least No. 86 in the world even if he loses his next match.

“Yeah, it feels amazing to have that consistency, to show I didn’t just do it that one time, to come back and do it again,” Fritz said, referring to his recent runner-up showing at an ATP 250-point event in Memphis. “I felt like the first set I played a really great game in the very first game to break. [Chardy] has a really big first serve and I made a lot of solid returns that game and kind of caught him a little off guard. I was able to serve well enough to hold serve throughout the set.

“Second set, I definitely had my chances to break but didn’t come up on the big points. He did. And the third set, I played about the best game I possibly good to get the early break. I played a lot of good shots.”

Fellow red-hot teenager Alexander Zverev is currently the youngest man in the top 100 at 18 years and 10 months old. Fritz is four months past his 18th birthday.

“It’s amazing,” the Rancho Santa Fe, Calif. native added. “I’ve wanted to be a tennis player my whole life,” he said. “Being in the Top 100 puts things in perspective. I’m here and I only want to keep going up. This is a huge milestone for me.”

Ryan Harrison is hoping to make a return trip to the top 100 and needs a big week in Acapulco in order to keep that goal within striking distance, as he is defending semifinal points from last year. Harrison’s week certainly got off to an awesome start on Tuesday, when he upset world No. 12 Marin Cilic 6-3, 3-6, 6-2.

It is the second-best win in terms of opponent’s ranking in the American’s career. His best came at this same event in 2015 with a three-set upset of then-No. 10 Grigor Dimitrov.

Ricky contributes to 10sballs.com and also maintains his own tennis website, The Grandstand.

Ryan Harrison of the USA in action against Marin Cilic of Croatia during their match at the Mexican Open tennis tournament in Acapulco, Mexico, 23 February 2016. EPA/ALEX CRUZ

Topics: 10sballs.com, Abierto Mexicano Telcel, Atp World Tour, Jeremy Chardy, Men's tennis, Mexico Open, Ricky Dimon, Ryan Harrison, Sports, Taylor Fritz, Tennis, Tennis News

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Dimonator says:

February 23, 2016 at 10:17 pm

RT @10sBalls_com: ATP Tennis – Fritz & Harrison Both Pull Off Upsets To Reach Acapulco 2nd Round By @Dimonator
https://t.co/J8Zh2w2KBH http…
ElenaFoundation says:

February 25, 2016 at 1:10 am

It’s going going loco down in acapulco! Teen sensations Taylor Fritz & Ryan Harrison pull of upsets! @10sBalls_com https://t.co/sX5ENWTUsL