TENNIS NEWS FROM STUTTGART 2016, IT’S A BIG WEEK FOR TEEN SENSATION TAYLOR FRITZ – HE PLAYS ROGER FEDERER HIS ALL TIME FAVORITE PRACTICE PARTNER

Written by: Staff on 7th June 2016

TENNIS NEWS FROM STUTTGART 2016, IT'S A BIG WEEK FOR TEEN SENSATION TAYLOR FRITZ - HE PLAYS ROGER FEDERER HIS ALL TIME FAVORITE PRACTICE PARTNER

epa05152002 Taylor Fritz of the US follows through on a return shot to Michael Mmoh of the US in their first round match of the Memphis Open tennis championship at the Racquet Club of Memphis in Memphis, Tennessee, USA, 09 February 2016. EPA/TANNEN MAURY |

By Ricky Dimon

Despite being just 18 years old, Taylor Fritz has already played doubles with 2009 U.S. Open champion Juan Martin Del Potro. He will soon get to play singles against 17-time Grand Slam winner Roger Federer. Fritz will have each one-of-a-kind memory from this week’s action at the Mercedes Cup in Stuttgart, Germany.

The Fritz-Del Potro doubles duo took the court on Tuesday, when they lost to Florian Mayer and Philipp Oswald 7-6(5), 6-3. But it wasn’t a bad day for the fast-rising American; not at all. In addition to teaming up for dubs with Del Potro, Fritz battled through a tough first-round singles match against French qualifier Fabrice Martin. The world No. 65 saved a match point at 5-6 in the second-set tiebreaker and eventually prevailed in one hour and 28 minutes after firing 19 aces.

Fritz’s reward is a first-ever meeting with Federer on Wednesday.

“It’s amazing being able to play the next round, because growing up, Federer was the guy that nobody could beat,” Fritz commented. “I grew up in that generation of him just dominating, so it’s crazy now to be stepping on the court with him.

“I remember I was in fifth grade in my computer class. We were supposed to be doing some kind of assignment and I was live streaming the (2009) U.S. Open final, Federer vs. Del Potro. Sitting there then, I never thought that at the same tournament I’d be playing against Federer and playing doubles with Del Potro.”

Photo by @atpworldtour via Instagram.

The 34-year-old will be in action for the first time since the Rome Masters when he takes the court for second-round action on Wednesday. Federer’s 2016 campaign has been on again and off again, with multiple withdrawals stemming from knee surgery, illness, and a back injury. After being sidelined since the Australian Open, the former world No. 1 compiled a modest 3-2 record at clay-court stops in Monte-Carlo and Rome. He was an unable to suit up for the French Open, so he began practicing on grass while his rivals slugged it out on the red dirt of Roland Garros.

Fritz, meanwhile, owns nine of his 10 career ATP-level match wins this season. Adding another victory to his total at the expense of none other than Federer will be a difficult task, but at the same time this is not an easy opening match with which the top seed will begin his latest comeback.

In other action, Marin Cilic and Radek Stepanek will be facing each other for the fourth time in their careers and for the first time in seven years on Wednesday. Stepanek is leading the head-to-head series 2-1 after most recently prevailing 4-6, 6-3, 6-3 on the indoor hard courts of Basel in 2009.

The 37-year-old Czech qualified for the Stuttgart main draw before defeating Denis Istomin 7-5, 3-6, 6-3 on Tuesday. Whereas Stepanek has already played three matches at this event, Cilic is just now beginning his week in the wake of a first-round bye.