French Open: John McEnroe 'loved' Taylor Fritz shushing Paris crowd - 'I like to see a little confrontation'
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Updated 02/06/2023 at 09:29 GMT
Taylor Fritz impressed seven-time Grand Slam winner John McEnroe by firing back at a hostile French Open crowd on Thursday. The ninth seed was roundly booed by the home support during his second-round win over Arthur Rinderknech and celebrated victory by 'shushing' them with a finger to his lips. McEnroe said he 'loved' the gesture and thought his compatriot 'handled it incredibly'.
'This is what it's all about!' - McEnroe loves Fritz's reaction to RG crowd
John McEnroe says he loved watching Taylor Fritz 'shushing' a partisan Paris crowd at the French Open and praised the American for “using negative fuel to his advantage”.
Fritz was booed by the home supporters during his four-set victory over Frenchman Arthur Rinderknech on Thursday night and celebrated victory by putting his finger to his lips.
The American then repeated the gesture during his on-court interview, as jeers continued to be directed at him by a hostile Roland-Garros crowd.
Seven-time Grand Slam winner McEnroe said on Eurosport’s exclusive French Open coverage that he loved to see his compatriot firing back at the crowd in scenes that reminded him of Daniil Medvedev’s 2019 US Open antics.
“I can relate to fans being against me, so respect for Taylor. I love that,” said McEnroe.
“[A hostile crowd] can be extremely intimidating, but it also can be very inspiring. You can use that negative fuel to your advantage.
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Incredible scenes as Court Suzanne Lenglen crowd boos Fritz during on-court interview
“I’ve got to hand it to Fritz, he’s done an incredible job getting himself in tip-top shape, he’s one of the best ball strikers that you’ll see on a tennis court, and he battles.
“He’s got some personality. I’ve been saying this for 50 years, but you play one-on-one against someone, you need that intensity.
“I think Taylor rose to the occasion. He’s a better player than Rinderknech in my opinion, I don’t think it’s a huge upset that he won that match.
“But I like to see a little confrontation, a la [Daniil] Medvedev a couple of years ago at the (US) Open.”
Fritz answered just one question on court after his win, rather than the usual three or four, with the noise from the stands preventing the interview from going ahead on a normal basis.
“They cheered so well for me, I wanted to make sure I won. Thanks guys," the American said ironically, and McEnroe was impressed by the 25-year-old’s handling of the situation.
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'You've got to be brave to do that' - Fritz 'shushes' the crowd after win
“If you know Fritz, you know he’s got a bit of that. He’s very confident, as he should be, and you need to be to be a top player. On the court you don’t see it as often, but off the court you feel that,” said McEnroe.
“I’ve been with him a couple of years as Laver Cup captain and he’s like ‘I’ve got this, I know exactly what to do.’ He believes in himself, and you have to believe in yourself.
“This is what it’s all about – Americans coming to Paris or vice versa, you know the crowd is going to be against you and you’re pumped up for it.
“That’s exactly what Fritz did – I thought he handled it incredibly.”
Fritz is seeded ninth in Paris and will face 23rd seed Francisco Cerundolo next in the third round.
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