It will be an all-American final when Sam Querrey and Taylor Fritz battle for the Nature Valley International title on Saturday afternoon.
They have already faced each other four times even though Fritz remains in the relatively early stages of his career. The head-to-head series is tied up at two wins apiece, with all four of their previous encounters having come on hard courts. They squared off three times in 2018, with Fritz prevailing in Delray Beach (third-set tiebreaker) and Chengdu (7-6(1), 7-5) before Querrey got the job done in Shanghai (7-5 in the third).
Even though Querrey has been inactive and unspectacular, a final appearance on grass is no surprise. The world No. 79 is a former Queen’s Club champion (2010) and his Wimbledon record includes a 2016 quarterfinal and a 2017 semifinal. So far in Eastbourne he has defeated Mikhail Kukushkin, Dusan Lajovic, Fernando Verdasco, and Thomas Fabbiano, dropping just one set to Fabbiano along the way.
“I like playing on grass,” Querrey assured. “It’s nice to take three months off and come back and make a final. Usually that doesn’t happen, so I’m pretty thrilled.”
Fritz is through to his second ATP title match and first in three years (previously Memphis in 2016). The world No. 42 is 17-16 at the ATP level this season following victories over Paul Jubb, Guido Pella, Hubert Hurkacz, and Kyle Edmund.
“It’s the first final I have made in three years,” Fritz noted. “It’s been on my mind for a long time. It’s tough. The second ATP event you play, you make the final and then you lose in the final. So now you want to win a title. You kind of expect it of yourself. So I have been expecting it of myself for three years now.”
Expecting a title, however, may be too much. Whereas the 21-year-old is 0-1 at this stage, Querrey owns 10 titles and has played in 18 finals. On this surface and in this setting, the veteran will likely be too good.
Pick: Querrey in 2
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Querrey in three