Paul vs. Fritz: U.S. men’s epic semifinals showdown at Mexican Open
The U.S. men put on an epic show at the Mexican Open tennis semifinals in Acapulco on Friday night, March 3, 2023. Tommy Paul and Taylor Fritz had been playing each other since their early teenage years, but this match was different. Extreme humidity, cramps, and vomiting were all part of the spectacle.
In the second set, at about an hour and a half into the match, Paul had a match point at 5-4 40-30, but he was unable to capitalize on it, which reinvigorated Fritz. Fritz ended up taking the second set in a tiebreaker.
The conditions were quite challenging. It was a steamy night in Acapulco with an estimated 85% humidity, so Paul’s cramps were not a surprise. After the match, Paul admitted that they were both struggling physically, and he considers himself lucky to have come out on top.
Tomi Paul reached the Acapulco final after this epic semifinals showdown against Taylor Fritz. He remarked, “It’s never gonna be easy against Fritz. He’s unreal. He doesn’t give you any points throughout the whole match. You feel like you have to work for everything… I think I got a little lucky we were both struggling (physically), not just me”.