Always lurking: Taylor Fritz is moving up, again

Taylor Fritz

The ATP 250 Delray Beach has had some incredible matches over the decades

On the Florida hardcourts near the ocean, Taylor Fritz beat Miomir Kecmanovic 6-0, 5-7, 6-2 in the final. There were some wild shotswith some fine variety. Finally Fritz’ forehand and backhand were sailing deep and were more challenging. Yes, the No. 7 still can be up and down week to week. Whenhe is pushing himself, and he can mentally center and beat anyone. Well, most of them.

Kecmanovic lost but he really has improved a lot of the past year and a half. He is fit, his forehand is pretty darn good and his backhand is decent. In order to eventually reach into the top 10, he has mix it up more. Also, his second serve is marginal. The good thing for the 22-year-old is he has reached the top 30. If he can add to some new shots, then he can upset some of the very excellent players.

Daniil Medvedev had an odd year in 2022, playing a few spectacular events. After lost the 2022 Australian Open final in a classic five-setter against Rafa Nadal, Medvedev began to slip. After that, he started to make a lot of errors, which is unusual for him. He could not take down Novak Djokovic at all.

All of a sudden, Medvedev is back into it. He was so solid, with his consistent forehand and his backhand that he hits pretty flat. He managed to win the Rotterdam title, beating Jannik Sinner 5-7, 6-2, 6-2.

The Italian Sinner can really pop the ball and can also mix it up. When the Russian Medvedev is locked in and goes for winners, he is again among the four best players in the world.

Even at the 2023 Aussie Open, American Sebastian Korda beat Medvedev, in just three sets. Korda was jumping on the ball while the Russian was so unfulfilled. And then, a month later, he not only beat Sinner, but he also took dwon Felix Auger-Aliassime in the semis. Then, the fans were almost stunned that he could move it all around the box.

Now, he is back into the top 10 at No. 8. Can Medvedev eventually go into No. 1 this season? Perhaps, but he is not ready yet.

Sinner has won six in the 250s, but in the 500s, he won it only one time, back in 2021 at Washington. A couple years ago, when he reached the final in Miami, it looked like that when he continued to rise, all the time. Now 21-year-old serves and returns better. His volleying is even improved. His forehand and backhand are very . Mentally he can be slips, which is his downfall. Sinner will attempt to mature on the court. Hopefully, he can go much further at the ATP 1000s and the Grand Slams. He really has to be totally honest with himself.

Carlos Alcaraz has not played since he became injured at the 2022 ATP Masters 1000 Paris in the beginning of November. He was happy to be back on the court in Buenos Aires. You’ve got to figure it will take a while to be very good again. Then, in the last couple matches, he was pretty darn good, sliding around on the clay. He was quick, and he swung very hard. In the final, he edged Cameron Norrie 6-3, 7-5.

He became No. 1 when he won last year’s US Open along with Miami on hardcourt and also grabbing five tiles on clay. His biggest title was on the dirt in Madrid.

Alcaraz is only 19 years old. Sometimes the Spaniard can forget exactly what he has to do. Yes, if he is healthy, he will win many titles, just like Rafa Nadal has. Alcaraz can follow Nadal’s career who played all the time when he was young. He also knew he had to improve with his backhand, second serve and net game. Then eventually, he did it.

Nadal has won 22 Grand Slams. Can Alcaraz do the same? Who knows, but if he can continue to Still Djokovic is No. 1 right now.

The Wrap: Week of Feb. 18: Tsonga is at home at home

Tsonga IW 12 TR MALT3267

Tsonga has won five of his titles in France

Imagine if a fast court Slam were played in France? Do you think Jo-Wilfried Tsonga would have a better chance of winning a major? I sure do. On Sunday, Tsonga captured his 10th ATP title by fending off a match point against Tomas Berdych in a 3-6 7-6(6) 6-4 triumph in Marseille. Tsonga also saved five match points in his quarterfinal win over Bernard Tomic, many of them with winners, which clearly indicates clutch play.

Tsonga has won five of his 10 career titles at home, including his sole Masters Series crown in Bercy back in 2008. Maybe home country advantage doesn’t mean that much in the grand scheme of things given that many players tend to perform better on surfaces and in conditions that are more to their liking, but recall that last year that Tsonga came reasonably close to taking out Novak Djokovic at Roland Garros, and clay is without question his worst surface.

As an attacking player, Tsonga likes quick conditions and presumably Marseille was to his liking. Berdych is tough indoors too, and quite tough on Tsonga given that the Czech had beaten him the last three times they played.

Now both men will head to Dubai, where Novak Djokovic is back in ATP action (he did play Davis Cup) for the first time since the Australian Open, and Roger Federer returns in an attempt to defend his title. Djokovic has a huge lead over Federer in the rankings and isn