In the semi-finals of the Rothewsay International at Eastbourne, British player Billy Harris saw his hopes of reaching his first tour final dashed by Australian player Max Purcell. As a result, Purcell is now poised to compete against Taylor Fritz in the final to determine this year’s champion.
Harris, ranked as the British No.5, put up a strong fight but was ultimately defeated by Purcell with a score of 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 in a match that spanned two hours and 15 minutes. The Australian, who is ranked 45 places higher than Harris, demonstrated his experience and skill, putting an end to Harris’s impressive run at the ATP 250 level event.
In reference to his achievement, Purcell commented, “I have a new coach this week and I feel everything is coming together. It feels good. Qualifying last week in Halle gave me confidence, and I felt that I was due to get a couple of wins.”
In the final showdown, Purcell will face off against two-time champion Taylor Fritz, who secured his place after defeating Aleksander Vukic in two tie-breaks with scores of 7-6(5) 7-6(4). Fritz, the top seed in the tournament, is on track to become the first player to win the event for the third time.
Discussing his journey in the tournament, Fritz expressed, “I love playing here. The tournament is extra special to me because this is where I got my first title… and hopefully I’ll be back tomorrow to get number three.”
Recalling his semi-final victory, he added, “I felt like I had a lot of chances to break, and I just couldn’t make it happen. It doesn’t feel good just scraping by in ‘breakers but it gives me a lot of confidence that I am finding ways to win. At least I can say that I’m serving well, and I am getting those chances to break. I just need to take them.”
With the stage set for the final match, fans are eagerly anticipating the clash between Purcell and Fritz to witness who will emerge victorious and claim the title of this year’s champion at the Rothewsay International.