Player of the Day: Sonego wins epic tiebreak over Fritz

Each day of Roland Garros Baseline will highlight one player's efforts for a job well done.

With a slew of unexpected lower-ranked players going deep at Roland Garros, Lorenzo Sonego stands out for his boldness. The 25-year-old Italian stuck to his beloved drop shot over and over again in a wild third-set tiebreak for a 7-6 (5), 6-3, 7-6 (17) win over Taylor Fritz.

He'd win the 30-minute tiebreak (the second-longest in Grand Slam history) on his seventh match point with, what else, a drop shot.

"It's amazing, [it's] the best tiebreak in my life for sure," Sonego said. "I was tired. In the last point I try to do the drop shot because I was tired. I want to win this match for sure."

"I have definitely never played a tiebreaker like that and probably never will again," Fritz said.

The world No. 46 now awaits the winner of Norbert Gombos and Diego Schwartzman. It's the Italian's best major showing having reached the second round of the US Open twice and Australian Open once. He's guaranteed a career-high ranking regardless of what happens next.

Fast Facts

36

The number of points in Sonego's third-set tiebreak against Fritz

38

The number of points in the longest Grand Slam tiebreak  (Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Andy Roddick, 2007 Australian Open)

'13

The year Sonego turned pro