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    Taylor Fritz tells his Wimbledon opponent, Arthur Rinderknech, to ‘have a nice flight home’

    By Associated Press,

    9 hours ago

    https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=2GeW2R_0uFaRsXR00

    Taylor Fritz told his Wimbledon opponent, Arthur Rinderknech, to “have a nice flight home” after beating him in a second-round match on Thursday.

    The pair got into a bit of a back-and-forth at the net after the 13th-seeded American’s 6-3, 6-4, 3-6, 6-4 victory over France’s Rinderknech at the All England Club.

    This was a rematch of a 2023 French Open contest that Fritz won in front of a rowdy partisan crowd, which he shushed afterward.

    Rinderknech made a reference to that earlier matchup during the leadup to Thursday’s meeting, and Fritz heard about it. And was not pleased.

    https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=24xRwQ_0uFaRsXR00
    Taylor Fritz told his Wimbledon opponent, Arthur Rinderknech, to “have a nice flight home” after beating him in a second-round match on Thursday. AP

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    https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=3m0yN8_0uFaRsXR00
    So when it was time for the postmatch handshake Thursday, there were some words exchanged. @samstenn1s/X

    “I’m a very chill person. I don’t do anything that could rub people the wrong way, so when someone kind of just goes out of their way to take a shot at me, then I’m not just going to take it,” said Fritz, who is from California. “It gave me the extra fire to win.”

    So when it was time for the postmatch handshake Thursday, there were some words exchanged.

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    “I just said, ‘Have a nice flight home,’” Fritz recounted.

    https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=4LKvcN_0uFaRsXR00
    “I just said, ‘Have a nice flight home,'” Fritz recounted. @samstenn1s/X
    https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=3B0xtt_0uFaRsXR00
    France’s Arthur Rinderknech reacts during his match against Taylor Fritz during the second round of singles play at Wimbledon on July 4, 2024. AFP via Getty Images

    According to Fritz, Rinderknech responded by pointing out that he’s still around in doubles.

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    “I said, ‘Oh, congrats. Good for you.’ Then he started acting like, ‘Why are you blah, blah, blah?’ I’m like, ‘Dude, you know what you said. You know what you said.’ Don’t disrespect me before the match and then expect me to be all nice after the match,” said Fritz, who will take on 24th-seeded Alejandro Tabilo of Chile on Saturday for a spot in the fourth round. “That’s not how it works.”

    https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=2B3RbG_0uFaRsXR00
    Taylor Fritz celebrates winning his Wimbledon second round match on July 4, 2024. REUTERS
    https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=1pg2JD_0uFaRsXR00
    Fritz said Rinderknech’s remarks “gave me the extra fire to win.” AFP via Getty Images
    https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=2I9OrW_0uFaRsXR00
    Fritz next plays Alejandro Tabilo in the third round. REUTERS

    At Roland Garros last year, spectators booed and whistled at Fritz after he eliminated Rinderknech, who was the last French man in the field.

    Fritz put a finger to his lips, then spread his arms to egg on the crowd and yelled, “Come on! I want to hear it!”

    For the latest in sports, top headlines, breaking news and more, visit nypost.com/sports/

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