French Open: John McEnroe 'loved' Taylor Fritz shushing Paris crowd - 'I like to see a little confrontation'

John McEnroe says he loved watching Taylor Fritz 'shushing' a partisan Paris crowd at the French Open and praised the American for “using negative fuel to his advantage”. Fritz was booed by the home supporters during his four-set victory over Frenchman Arthur Rinderknech on Thursday night and celebrated victory by putting his finger to his lips. Ad The American then repeated the gesture during his on-court interview, as jeers continued to be directed at him by a hostile Roland-Garros crowd.

Roland-Garros'You’ve got to be brave to do that' — Fritz 'shushes' crowd, booed during interview4 HOURS AGO Seven-time Grand Slam winner McEnroe said on Eurosport’s exclusive French Open coverage that he loved to see his compatriot firing back at the crowd in scenes that reminded him of Daniil Medvedev’s 2019 US Open antics. “I can relate to fans being against me, so respect for Taylor. I love that,” said McEnroe.

“[A hostile crowd] can be extremely intimidating, but it also can be very inspiring. You can use that negative fuel to your advantage. “I’ve got to hand it to Fritz, he’s done an incredible job getting himself in tip-top shape, he’s one of the best ball strikers that you’ll see on a tennis court, and he battles.

“He’s got some personality. I’ve been saying this for 50 years, but you play one-on-one against someone, you need that intensity. “I think Taylor rose to the occasion.