London (AFP) – Taylor Fritz reignited his bitter feud with Arthur Rinderknech at Wimbledon on Thursday when he told the Frenchman: “Dude, don’t disrespect me”. US 13th seed Fritz won their second-round clash 6-3, 6-4, 3-6, 6-4.
Last year, Fritz defeated Rinderknech in front of a baying crowd at the French Open and attracted the wrath of the Roland Garros crowd by shushing them and sarcastically blowing kisses. On the eve of Thursday’s match Rinderknech told French sports daily L’Equipe that Fritz had “whined” in Paris and that he thought the American “won’t cry as much” in London.
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Fritz admitted those comments fired him up for their All England Club duel. “When we shook hands, I just said, ‘Have a nice flight home’,” said Fritz. “He asked me what I said. I told him what I said. He told me he was in doubles still. I said, ‘Oh, congrats, good for you’. “Then he started acting like, ‘Why are you blah, blah, blah?’ I’m like, ‘Dude, you know what you said — don’t disrespect me before the match and then expect me to be all nice after the match’.”
Fritz will face Alejandro Tabilo of Chile for a place in the last 16.
© 2024 AFP
