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Taylor Fritz has to fend off great ghosts of the American past
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Taylor Fritz, the first American man in the US Open final in 18 years, is finally tasting the big time. He will face world No. 1 Italian Jannik Sinner.
PHOTO: AFP
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This is an American ghost story. Not about the souls of dead people but the spirits of legendary retired athletes. US players once owned tennis in New York and now their ghosts hound young Americans who haven’t won their Open in 20 years. The past inspires yet also haunts.
On Sept 8, Taylor Fritz plays Jannik Sinner in the US Open men’s final even as he’s trying to bury ghosts. The legend of great players from the same nation can be a catalyst but also a weight. Can his name sit on a trophy alongside Jimmy Connors, five-time champion on three different surfaces (grass, clay, hard court) at the US Open?
