Tennis-Fritz strengthens US Open title credentials in Bellucci rout

Taylor Fritz delivered another commanding performance ​to brush aside Mattia Bellucci 6-0 6-1 6-1 and reach ​the third round of the U.S. Open on ‌Thursday, ​extending his emphatic start to the tournament without dropping a set. Fritz is among a handful of contenders looking to end a 23-year American wait for a men's Grand Slam singles champion after Andy ‌Roddick's Flushing Meadows triumph and the ninth seed has strengthened his position after his first two matches.

"I thought I played really well today. I came out and felt good from the beginning... I was very focused the whole match," Fritz told reporters after his 98-minute demolition job. "It was ‌a very high level for me... I don't know if I'd for sure say I'd put it up there as one ‌of the best matches I've ever played, but things were definitely clicking for me. Things felt really good for me. I can't really nitpick.

"I'd nitpick a lot to come up with anything I did wrong, because I felt all the important parts of my game that make me feel I'm playing good tennis and feel confident, ⁠it was ​all working for me." The 2024 runner-up ⁠barely gave his unseeded Italian opponent any chances to settle as he dictated terms from the baseline and raced through the opening set in 35 minutes without conceding ⁠a game on the main showcourt.

A timely ace in a tight game helped world number 95 Bellucci open his account in the next set but it ​was all Fritz from there as the 28-year-old home favourite reeled off games to double his lead in the match. Bellucci was ⁠unable to alter the pattern of the clash in the third set as Fritz remained in control, sealing another easy win to set up a meeting with 24th ⁠seed ​Francisco Cerundolo and keep his bid for a maiden Grand Slam title on track.

"I think it is really important to not kill yourself in the first couple of matches, because you need to have the energy to potentially do that later on in the week," ⁠Fritz added. "At the end of the day, you get a day off, but anyone will tell you one day isn't enough to recover ⁠from a five-set match. It's ⁠just not. You can come back and still play good, but it's not enough to fully recover.

"It's good to get through these the way that I've gotten through these, and yeah, I think the one ‌today gives me a ‌lot more confidence than the first-round match."