By Amy Tennery
NEW YORK, Sept 1 – American Taylor Fritz harnessed his mighty serve to roll into the second round of the U.S. Open on Tuesday, beating compatriot Darwin Blanch 6-3 6-2 6-4 in the second match of the day at Arthur Ashe Stadium.
“It’s never easy to come out and play another young American,” said Fritz, who had a withering appraisal of his own return game.
He wore down Blanch’s defences in the second set, converting on his fourth break point in the fifth game and again in the seventh, as costly errors began to pile up for the teenager on his Flushing Meadows debut. Blanch let another shot go past the baseline on break point in the opening game of the third set and Fritz slammed his foot on the gas from there, extinguishing the only two break points he faced in the second game with an ace and a punishing backhand. Fritz had a mixed run-up to New York, winning in D.C. before losing his Montreal opener, but he had no issues on Tuesday, as he dropped only one first-serve point in the opening set and got the break in the sixth game.
