American tennis player Taylor Fritz experienced a surprising early exit from the French Open on Sunday, falling to compatriot Nishesh Basavareddy in a first-round upset that highlighted his ongoing struggles following injury.
The seventh-seeded Fritz lost 7-6(5) 7-6(5) 6-7(9) 6-1 to the 21-year-old wildcard entry on Court Suzanne Lenglen in Paris, marking another disappointing result in what has been a challenging clay court campaign disrupted by physical setbacks.
Fritz had been sidelined for two months with a knee problem and only returned to competition last week in Geneva, where he also suffered an opening-round loss. The rust from his extended absence was evident as he struggled against Basavareddy’s varied tactical approach.
The match began competitively with both players trading games in the opening set before Basavareddy claimed it in a closely contested tiebreaker. Fritz appeared to find his rhythm early in the second set but quickly lost momentum when his opponent broke serve and began implementing effective drop shots that created difficulties throughout the contest.
Facing the prospect of consecutive first-round exits at Roland Garros, Fritz watched as the world number 148 Basavareddy delivered powerful serves in the second-set tiebreak to establish a commanding two-set advantage.
The third set remained on serve through 12 games, with Fritz showing emotion by screaming after winning the tiebreak and saving a match point to extend the contest. However, Basavareddy maintained his composure and dominated the final set to secure his first victory over a top-10 opponent.
Basavareddy will advance to face either Alexander Shevchenko or Alex Michelsen in the second round of the tournament.
