Taylor Fritz Survives Scare Against Giron in Dallas Open First Round Thriller

Taylor Fritz, the top seed at the 2026 Dallas Open, survived a challenging three-set battle against fellow American Marcos Giron on Wednesday, prevailing 6-4, 5-7, 7-6(1) in his first match since the Australian Open. The victory was hard-fought, with Fritz needing to overcome both a tough opponent and a recurring knee injury that required a medical timeout early in the match.

Five games into the opening set, Fritz took a medical timeout for his knee issue, raising concerns about his ability to continue. However, the American rallied to win the first set 6-4, relying heavily on his dominant serve. Fritz won an impressive 72% of service points and struck 21 aces throughout the match, numbers that kept him competitive even when other aspects of his game weren't clicking.

The second set saw Giron fight back, taking advantage of some inconsistency from Fritz to level the match at one set apiece with a 7-5 victory. The momentum appeared to be shifting, but Fritz found another gear in the decisive third set, playing what he later described as his best tennis of the match.

The third set went to a tiebreak, where Fritz delivered a near-perfect performance. He dominated the breaker 7-1, winning eight consecutive points at one crucial stretch. Post-match, Fritz was effusive about his returning performance, telling reporters, "I think that whole third set is the best set of tennis I've returned" and calling it "the best returning set I've played in years."

The match also featured one of the early contenders for shot of the year when Fritz went behind the back for a winner after a net cord appeared to leave him stranded. The audacious shot brought the Dallas crowd to its feet and showcased the kind of shotmaking ability that has made Fritz one of America's top players. As the tournament favorite, Fritz will look to build on this gritty opening win as he pursues his first title of 2026.