Taylor Fritz collapses to shock US Open

American Taylor Fritz has crashed out of the US Open after a shocking five-set collapse against Argentina's Francisco Cerundolo. Fritz admitted he needed to take some time away from the sport following the 3-6, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 defeat.

Fritz appeared in complete control after winning the first two sets and securing a break of serve in the third. The match then unravelled dramatically. A crestfallen Fritz struggled to articulate his emotions afterwards.

"I don't even know what to say," Fritz said. "I don't really want to talk to anybody, see anybody."

Fritz analyzes the match collapse

Despite his early lead, Fritz suggested he never felt entirely comfortable. He fended off multiple break points before Cerundolo finally broke through. The American credited his opponent's resilience.

"I was lucky to get through the first and the second sets because he wasn't serving great and made some mistakes," said Fritz. He acknowledged that Cerundolo's returning prowess punished him more than an average player would.

Fritz pinpointed a shift in the match dynamics. "He got better from the baseline. He started playing more aggressive and made less mistakes and that made it tough." The American also highlighted Cerundolo's improved serving in the final two sets, which compounded his own declining baseline level.

Cerundolo's perspective on the comeback

The victor, Francisco Cerundolo, admitted he was outplayed early on. He described a gradual process of finding his best tennis as the match progressed.

"He was playing way better than me the first two sets," stated Cerundolo. "I started getting into it step by step and I think fourth and fifth I played really good tennis."

The sting of American expectations

The defeat carries extra weight for Fritz. The United States has not had a men's singles champion at its home Grand Slam since Andy Roddick won in 2003. With expectations rising after emphatic wins in his first two matches, Fritz was being tipped as a potential contender to end that long wait.

Setbacks in the tournament that means the most to him will sting. The nature of this collapse - leading by two sets and a break - is likely to fuel doubts about his ability to cross the final winning line at a major. For now, the American is left to ponder a devastating loss and plan his next steps.