Taylor Fritz has cemented his legacy at the Rothesay International Eastbourne by becoming the first player in the tournament’s history to win three titles. In a decisive final, Fritz overpowered Max Purcell 6-4, 6-3 to claim his eighth ATP Tour title.
The match, completed in just one hour and seven minutes, was Fritz’s shortest of the week. Reflecting on his victory, Fritz acknowledged Purcell’s efforts, saying, “Congrats to Max’s team. Your first final is a huge accomplishment, and I’m sure you’re going to be in plenty more, especially on grass. It was a really tough match and a nightmare to play some of those games.”
Eastbourne holds a special significance for Fritz. It was here that he won his first tour-level title in 2019, defeating Sam Querrey in straight sets. He returned to win again in 2022, and now, with this latest victory, he has added a third crown to his collection at the ATP 250 event. “Something about this place – my first title, the third, and now my eighth. There’s something about it here – I really love it,” Fritz expressed. “The crowd support every year is amazing, and I just love being in Eastbourne and having this week right before Wimbledon.”
Throughout the final, Fritz’s serve was a dominant force. He landed 70% of his first serves and won an impressive 89% of the points behind his first serve, effectively preventing any break points against him in the match.
On the other side, Max Purcell reached a significant milestone by making it to his first ATP Tour singles final. The former Wimbledon doubles champion was positive about his experience, saying, “Huge week for me, thank you everyone for coming out, it means a lot. My first [ATP] final, so it’s a really special place for me and I couldn’t think of a better place to do it right before Wimbledon.”
Purcell also praised Fritz, “Taylor, great week mate. All the best for next week. Congrats to you and your team. You’re a fantastic player and I’m always stoked to play against top players like you. I enjoy every second of it out on court, so thank you for the experience.”
