Frazier continues run, moves past Duong to make singles final
PALM SPRINGS, CA - Dylan Frazier is into the men’s singles final after beating Quang Duong in three games Saturday morning at the PPA Masters.
The No. 10 seed has been making the most of the opportunity that comes with Ben Johns no longer being in the draw, besting No. 6 seed JW Johnson in the Round of 16 and No. 3 seed Tyson McGuffin in the quarterfinals.
Standing in the way of the final was a matchup with Duong, the 17-year-old who took out Johns in the Round of 16.
One of the biggest challenges for Frazier was dealing with the heavy topspin that Duong produces on his shots.
Keeping the ball out of the 17-year-old’s strike zone was the plan in Game 1.
“I tried to keep my shots lower so that he couldn’t rip as easily,” he explained. “When they stayed too high, he was able to crush them.”
By using this strategy and relying on his lightning-quick hands at the kitchen line, he took Game 1, 11-6.
Duong responded in Game 2, however, by using lobs over Frazier’s backhand to get on the offensive.
Frazier struggled to return the lobs deep into the court, giving Duong a chance to rip his drives and take control of the points.
This strategy helped Duong take Game 2, 11-7.
With one game separating him from his first singles final since 2022, Frazier tried to get back to slowing the points down and relying on his expertise in the short game.
Reading the lobs better helped him do just that.
“I did a better job of figuring out when he was going to lob,” he shared. “He was usually doing it from the kitchen line because he wanted to avoid the cat and mouse, and I was able to adjust.”
Frazier took the deciding game 11-7 to book his spot in the Championship Sunday lineup.
After earning a bronze medal in Palm Springs last year, Frazier has secured a better result in 2024.
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