ATP Tournament in Eastbourne, Final, Saturday, 25.06.2022
While most of the tennis stars are already away in London, a few still have a job to do before Wimbledon gets underway. Maxime Cressy and Taylor Fritz will play their ATP final in Eastbourne.
On Saturday, the bookies see a close match coming their way. Will Bet365 be right in giving them both a chance? In my Cressy Fritz tip, I reveal why my tip still goes in the direction of the favourites.
Taylor Fritz was seeded third in Eastbourne, so his entry into the final was hardly surprising. All the more so because the US American is the defending champion here, having lost only one set in 2021.
This could be considered a good omen: A year ago, he beat his compatriot Sam Querrey in the final, who was surprisingly number 79 at the time. This time his opponent is Maxime Cressy, ranked 60th and was not among the favourites either.
Fritz obviously needed some time to find a liking for the green grass. He disappointed in Hertogenbosch as well as in Queens, conceding immediate defeats to Tim van Rijthoven and Jack Draper.
In Eastbourne, he managed a relatively confident start at 7-5, 6-3. He also showed in the following quarter-final that he has continuously improved his performance. With 6-2, 6-3, he won without much trouble against Alexander Bublik.
A really tough task finally awaited him in the semi-finals. Before the duel with Alex de Minaur, the bookmakers hardly had a favourite, and the result was just as close in the end. In the end, Fritz won 6-1, 6-7, 6-3.
He fended off all six of de Minaur’s break chances. No surprise, because: Bublik and Monteiro were also not allowed to take anything from his service game. Before he faces a very demanding opponent in Lorenzo Musetti in the first round of Wimbledon, he will play his first match against compatriot Cressy.
The odds suggest a relatively even match, with all the betting providers we tested averaging 1.50 to 2.40. Cressy won’t mind being the underdog, because nobody really expected him in this final anyway.
But at the latest when he celebrated a smashing 6-3, 6-1 win over Reilly Opelka in the 1st round, it should have been clear to everyone what the world number 60 is actually capable of. Daniel Evans was also defeated smoothly, 7-6, 6-4.
The 25-year-old then went one better, also beating top seed Cameron Norrie. 7-5, 7-5, he kept his nerve in the decisive moments. Just like in the thriller of the semi-final.
Against Jack Draper, another Brit, a fast-paced match developed. 7-6, 6-7, 6-3, after several rallies Cressy had made it. He allowed two breaks in four matches, even though his opponents were really strong.
In Halle, he already showed what he is capable of by taking a set from the future champion Hubert Hurkacz. Now he is on the verge of the biggest success of his career, his 1.98m should help him win the first title of his career.
My Cressy Fritz Tip
The Eastbourne crowd had wanted an English final, but Maxime Cressy eliminated all title hopes.
Taylor Fritz collected slightly more mixed results, but:Almost everything is new for Cressy on Saturday, while Fritz has already clinched a Masters this year. My point goes to experience in this case, which is why I’m guessing:
Fritz wins against Cressy!
