Turin, Nov 10 (IANS): Taylor Fritz kicked off his 2024 Nitto ATP Finals campaign in style with a commanding 6-4, 6-3 victory over fourth seed Daniil Medvedev on Sunday. The American, competing in his second consecutive season finale, showed his poise and precision to make a perfect start.

Fritz capitalized on a series of errors from Medvedev, including seven double faults in the opening set, before maintaining his focus to seal the win in straight sets.

“The serve was a big part of it for sure,” Fritz said after the match. “He’s such a good returner, and I knew that I had to make high-quality first serves. If I didn’t, he’d put so many returns back in the court.”

Fritz’s serving was indeed the difference, as he won an impressive 85% of first-serve points, according to Infosys ATP Stats. His ability to hit the lines and mix up his serve placement kept Medvedev under pressure throughout the match. Fritz also demonstrated his resilience during tight moments, saving all three break points he faced.

Medvedev, who is aiming to win the Nitto ATP Finals for the second time in his career, struggled to find his rhythm early, as his unforced errors piled up. Fritz, however, took full advantage, breaking Medvedev in the sixth game of the second set to take control and never looked back.

“I’m just a better player now than I was last year,” Fritz said, reflecting on his growth since his debut at the Finals, when he reached the semi-finals as an alternate.

“This time, I’m the fifth seed, and I really want to make it out of the group stage. I’m putting more pressure on myself to do better, and I’m super happy with how I played today,” he added.

With the win, Fritz improves to 1-0 in the Ilie Nastase Group. He will next face World No. 1 Jannik Sinner and Nitto ATP Finals debutant Alex de Minaur. Medvedev, the 2020 champion, now faces a tough task as he seeks to bounce back in the round-robin stages.