“Really sad to see,” Taylor Fritz expresses his concern over growing absence of Reilly Opelka from the Tour
Fritz expressed his worry while talking about his friend, Opelka's extended absence
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Taylor Fritz and Reilly Opelka (via Getty Images)
World No. 8, Taylor Fritz recently talked about his compatriot and friend, Reilly Opelka. The player has been on an extended absence from the tour since last year. His last match was the Citi Open in Washington DC. Opelka lost to Nick Kyrgios in the second round of the tournament. Since then, he has been absent from the ATP tour.
Opelka was scheduled to make a comeback in the Delray Beach Open the following week, but according to sources, the World No. 44 is still not ready. Fritz, who is now competing at the Dallas Open and is scheduled to play at Delray Beach after that, was one of those who were eager to watch Opelka in action.
“It’s horrible. He started last year very strong. He played very good tennis. It sucks. It can happen to any of us at any time. You never know when you might be out for eight months. It’s really sad to see. He’s one of my best friends. I can not wait to see it. I haven’t had the opportunity to spend a lot of time with him because he hasn’t taken part in the tournaments,” said Fritz, who is seeded no.1 in the Dallas Open.
The second round of the ATP 250 competition is on Thursday, and Fritz, the top seed in Dallas, will play Jack Sock. Opelka, on the other hand, faces the possibility of dropping out of the top 50 after reaching a career-high position of World No. 17 in February 2022.
Taylor Fritz to face compatriot Jack Sock at Dallas Open
By leading Team USA to victory in the United Cup, Taylor Fritz got the season off to a terrific start. At the Australian Open, he was predicted to advance far, but in the second round, he was defeated by Alexei Popyrin in a difficult five-set loss. Fritz received a bye into the Dallas Open’s second round.
Entering a wildcard In the Dallas Open’s first match, Jack Sock defeated Ilya Ivashka 7-6 (2), 4-6, 6-4 to advance to the second round and face fellow American Taylor Fritz. The duo went head-to-head in last year’s Dallas Open where the World No. 8 won in straight sets. Fritz has a 3-2 lead over Sock, in all their encounters.
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Tanisha Mohanty
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