Fritz on to third round; Tsitsipas, coach split
WASHINGTON—Top-seeded Taylor Fritz got his North American hard-court season off to a strong start by hitting 11 aces and saving the only break point he faced in a 6-3, 6-2 victory over Aleksandar Vukic in the DC Open on Wednesday.
The second-seeded woman, Emma Navarro, was eliminated at night by Maria Sakkari, 7-5, 7-6 (1). Sakkari was the 2023 runner-up to Coco Gauff here.
Fritz is coming off a semifinal run on the grass of Wimbledon and will be trying to replicate last year’s strong showing in this portion of the season, when he reached his first Grand Slam final during the US Open.
Meanwhile, in Athens, Stefanos Tsitsipas has parted ways with coach Goran Ivanisevic after a brief stint together, the former third-ranked player in the world said.
“Working with Goran Ivanisevic was brief but an intense experience and a truly valuable chapter in my journey,” the Greek star Tsitsipas wrote in a statement posted on Instagram. “I’m thankful for the time, effort and energy he dedicated to me and my team.”
Tsitsipas, a two-time Grand Slam finalist who fell out of the top 20 in June, started working with Ivanisevic, 2001 Wimbledon champion, after his second-round loss at the French Open in late May.
Ivanisevic coached the 26-year-old Greek player at Halle and Wimbledon, where he retired due to a back injury during his opening match, trailing by two sets to love against Frenchman Valentin Royer.
“As we are now following our separate ways, I have only respect for Goran—not just for what he’s achieved in tennis, but also for who he is as a person,” Tsitsipas said. “I wish him nothing but the very best moving forward.”
Tsitsipas is next scheduled to play in Toronto from Sunday.
After getting a first-round bye, Fritz now will play in the third round against Matteo Arnaldi, who eliminated No. 16 Lorenzo Sonego, 7-5, 7-5.
Seeded men advancing included No. 7 Alex de Minaur, No. 8 Daniil Medvedev, No. 9 Flavio Cobolli, and No. 11 Jiri Lehecka, but No. 5 Andrey Rublev was a 7-5, 6-2 loser to 19-year-old American Learner Tien.
