Basavareddy stuns Fritz on RG debut

After missing most of the clay season due to knee tendinitis, Fritz suffered a first-round loss to Alexei Popyrin in Geneva in his only match on clay before heading to Paris to make his 10th main draw appearance at Porte D’auteuil.

He wasn't ready for what hit him.

Basavareddy, a former collegiate player at Stanford University who received a wild card for winning the USTA’s Roland-Garros Wild Card Challenge, recorded his first career top 10 win and became the first American to notch a top 10 win at Roland-Garros since 2000.

Was it the biggest win of his career?

"Definitely," he told the crowd, after thanking them in French to start his interview.

"What a match. Taylor's obviously a great player, so super happy to get through that, especially after losing the third set. First French Open main draw, and all the support, it's incredible."

It was a disappointing day for Fritz on the terre battue. Befuddled by a steady diet of drop shots from Basavareddy, his lack of match play showed.

“It shouldn't come as a huge surprise if you are in the weeds of tennis and you understand that Fritz is so underprepared competitively,” said Jim Courier, who commentated the match for TNT. “He’s prepared his body to withstand the troubles that his knee tendinitis has been giving him, but he’s only played one match in the last two months."

The Former US Open finalist demonstrated determination late in the third set, saving a match point and converting his fifth set point to stay alive in the match, but he couldn't contain Basavareddy in the fourth set.

Basavareddy will face either Alexander Shevchenko or Alex Michelsen in the second round.

More to follow...

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