
via Getty
DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES – MARCH 17: Taylor Fritz of the USA is dejected during the round of 16 match between Taylor Fritz of the USA and Andrey Rublev of Russia during Day Eleven of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis at Dubai Duty Free Tennis Stadium on March 17, 2021 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. (Photo by Francois Nel/Getty Images)

via Getty
DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES – MARCH 17: Taylor Fritz of the USA is dejected during the round of 16 match between Taylor Fritz of the USA and Andrey Rublev of Russia during Day Eleven of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis at Dubai Duty Free Tennis Stadium on March 17, 2021 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. (Photo by Francois Nel/Getty Images)
Japan Open is currently on, and people all over the world are truly excited to witness what happens there. A match that truly shocked everyone to their very core at the Japan Open was on Thursday between Taylor Fritz and Shintaro Mochizuki. Taylor Fritz is one of the Top 10 seeded players in the ATP rankings and everyone expected him to win.
But to everyone’s surprise, the local boy, Shintaro Mochizuki, took over the match and emerged victorious. After winning this tremendous match against top-seeded Fritz, Mochizuki opened up and shared how he felt after his win in an interview.
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
Japanese tennis star Shintaro Mochizuki defeats Taylor Fritz and shares how he feels
Mochizuki lost the first set to Fritz very quickly. And that is what everyone had expected. But after the first set, things escalated quickly in favor of the local boy and he was able to defeat the top-seeded player with ease after giving all he had.
View this post on Instagram
While talking about his win, he said, “I don’t really know what is happening right now. I lost the first set so easy, so quick. Everyone knows he is a great player but I kept fighting and that is all I could do. I am so happy. I don’t know how, but I won the match. I was a bit nervous at the start, not swinging. I was scared to miss. Then I tried to forget about everything and just started playing my game from the second set and that is how it went.”
This win was so sudden and overwhelming for him that even Mochizuki himself could not believe that he had won. Going into the match, the 20-year-old Japanese tennis champ had not thought that he would be able to defeat the American. But the tables turned for him and he came out winning one of the most amazing matches of his life.
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
Here is what’s next for the local boy after defeating Taylor Fritz.
Mochizuki to proceed to the quarterfinals of the Japan Open
After a stunning win against Fritz, Mochizuki will now be playing against Alexei Popyrin. With this win, he has also become the second Japanese player to defeat a player who is in the top 10 ATP rankings. The first Japanese player to do that was Taro Daniel who beat world No. 4 Casper Ruud in Acapulco.
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
The win in this match has also pushed Mochizuki up by 47 places and made him the No. 168 in the Pepperstone ATP Live Rankings and No. 22 in the Pepperstone ATP Live Race. Could this be the start of the rise of the Tennis Wonder?
Watch This Story: Kevin Harvick’s Legendary Tribute: A Farewell to Remember
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT