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Match details
Fixture: Taylor Fritz vs Jenson Brooksby
Date: 2 September 2021
Tournament: 2021 US Open
Round: Second round (Round of 64)
Venue: Flushing Meadows, New York
Category: Grand Slam
Surface: Outdoor hardcourt
Prize money: $40,560,000
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel & ESPN/ESPN 2 | UK - Amazon Prime Video | India - Star Sports / Disney+ Hotstar VIP
Taylor Fritz vs Jenson Brooksby preview
Taylor Fritz and Jenson Brooksby, both Americans, will square off against each other in the second round of the 2021 US Open on Thursday.
Fritz beat 14th seed Alex de Minaur 7-6(4), 6-2, 1-6, 6-4 in the first round on Tuesday. That helped the 23-year-old snap his three-match losing streak on tour.
However, the American's win was far from fluent; he coughed up a whopping 53 unforced errors, including six double faults. But he also struck 42 winners, which eventually saw him through.
Fritz needs one more win to equal his best-ever performance at his home Slam. He had made the third round in 2018 as well as 2020.
Meanwhile the 20-year-old Jenson Brooksby has caused quite a stir on tour in recent weeks. Not only has the American's style drawn comparisons to that of Novak Djokovic, Daniil Medvedev and Sofia Kenin, but he has also delivered some solid results.
Brooksby, who has twice before played in the main draw of the US Open, finished as the runner-up at the 2021 Hall of Fame Open. He then went on to make the semifinals of the Citi Open, where he registered victories over Kevin Anderson, Frances Tiafoe, John Millman and Felix Auger-Aliassime - all without dropping a set.
On Tuesday, the American defeated the in-form Mikael Ymer 7-5, 6-2, 5-7, 6-3 in a four-hour-long marathon. As the duration indicates, the match featured a lot of extended rallies, with both players trying to draw out errors from each other.
There were a total of 123 unforced errors in the contest, out of which 59 came from Brooksby's racket. More surprisingly, both players generated a combined 36 break points.
Brooksby converted 11 of his 20 break point opportunities, which ultimately proved to be the decisive factor.
Taylor Fritz vs Jenson Brooksby head-to-head
Taylor Fritz and Jenson Brooksby have never faced each other on tour before, which is why their head-to-head currently stands at 0-0.
Taylor Fritz vs Jenson Brooksby prediction
Jenson Brooksby is a difficult player to hit through, given that he covers the court and defends very well. But at the same time, the 20-year-old is not someone who will bludgeon too many winners past you, as his shots tend to be underpowered.
Brooskby does have a delightful drop shot in his arsenal though, which can leave even the best in the business flat-footed.
Taylor Fitz, on the other hand, possesses those extra MPHs on his serve and groundstrokes which can test anyone's defense. This match promises to be a baseline slugfest filled with contrasting patterns of play, and could well go the distance.
As such, fatigue could be a factor for Brooksby, who spent four hours on court against Ymer. That, combined with Fritz's superior serve, could help the higher-ranked American clinch the win.
Prediction: Taylor Fritz to win in five sets.
