Fritz routs Kypson to advance
Key Points
- Taylor Fritz cruised into the third round with an emphatic straight sets victory against compatriot Patrick Kypson.
- Alex de Minaur eased past Frenchman Adrian Mannarino on Court 3.
- De Minaur has reached seven quarterfinals at the majors but never gone any further.
- French Open champion Alexander Zverev too advanced, putting it across unseeded Valentin Royer.
Last year's semifinalist Taylor Fritz continued his smooth progress at Wimbledon by mowing down fellow American Patrick Kypson 6-2, 6-2, 7-5 to make the third round on Thursday and remain on course for a maiden Grand Slam title.
Fritz recorded his best result at the All England Club 12 months ago and the sixth seed followed up his straight-sets win over lucky loser Dusan Lajovic in the last round with another convincing display to emerge as a dark horse.
The gulf in class on Court Two became evident early as Fritz eased through the opening two stanzas with minimum fuss, but the 28-year-old encountered a lot more resistance from world number 113 Kypson in the third set.
After losing a six-deuce game to let Kypson off the hook and draw level at 4-4, Fritz shifted gears again in the 12th game to close out the victory and book a meeting with either Canadian Gabriel Diallo or Italian Lorenzo Sonego in the next round.
So far so perfect for De Minaur
Whisper it quietly, but could this be the moment for Alex de Minaur to break through his Grand Slam glass ceiling?
The Australian fifth seed has reached seven quarter-finals at the majors but never gone any further, with only Russia's Andrey Rublev failing more often at that stage, with 10.
On Thursday though, he dispatched tricky Frenchman Adrian Mannarino with ease to reach the Wimbledon third round and the draw offers him hope of making his deepest run yet.
"I'm super stoked, super grateful to be playing some great tennis here in London," the 27-year-old said after his 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 win on Court Three where he received almost home levels of support thanks to his fiancee being British player Katie Boulter.
De Minaur, one of the best movers in the sport and whose all-court game is a good fit for grass, is yet to drop a set in his opening two rounds.
Left-hander Mannarino's unusual game style means his flat strokes propel the ball low over the net, skidding off the lush turf. De Minaur dealt with it superbly though to take his record over Mannarino to 6-1.
"We have played each other many times and we both hate playing each other," De Minaur said. "There wasn't much net clearance today, not much topspin out there today.
"I'll probably need some treatment on my lower back! I love playing on this court, it's a great atmosphere and I just hope I can stay for a long time."
De Minaur, a quarter-finalist in 2024, when he gave Novak Djokovic a walkover because of a hip injury, will face either Zachary Svajda or Kamil Majchrzak in his next outing.
Zverev's Fine Grand Slam Run Continues
French Open champion Alexander Zverev continued his bid for a second straight Grand Slam trophy as the German beat unseeded Valentin Royer 6-1, 6-3, 7-6(3) to move into the third round.
Just weeks after ending his long wait for a maiden major at Roland Garros, Zverev barely put a foot wrong against his French opponent, taking full control of the Court One contest from the outset and overcoming some late resistance to advance.
After Royer held serve to open the match, Zverev claimed the next nine games without reply by showcasing near-flawless tennis from both flanks, and the second seed went on to double his lead in the match with a forehand winner on set point.
An early break in the third set gave Zverev the ideal platform to close out a convincing victory, but the 29-year-old wobbled slightly with a double fault and a forehand error to let Royer claw his way back to 4-4.
Royer forced a deciding tiebreak from there but Zverev was in no mood to be dragged into an extended workout and held his nerve to book a third-round meeting with American Marcos Giron, who beat another Frenchman in Quentin Halys.
