Miami Fritz fights back after missing 6 MPs, beats Berrettini in Miami “There’s two options. Get frustrated, lose, and then be even more frustrated about all the chances I blew, or regroup and get the win,” Fritz said. “Now I can sleep tonight and not be so mad at the chances I blew.” Fritz is […]
Miami
Fritz fights back after missing 6 MPs, beats Berrettini in Miami
“There’s two options. Get frustrated, lose, and then be even more frustrated about all the chances I blew, or regroup and get the win,” Fritz said. “Now I can sleep tonight and not be so mad at the chances I blew.”
Taylor Fritz is seeking his second ATP Masters 1000 trophy.
By ATP Staff
American uses bold return strategy to defeat Italian for fifth time
Taylor Fritz recovered from letting slip six match points in a dramatic second set to maintain a perfect record against Matteo Berrettini on Thursday at the Miami Open presented by Itau.
The third seed overcame the Italian 7-5, 6-7(7), 7-5 after a thrilling two-hour, 44-minute quarter-final, during which Fritz was on the verge of a straight-sets victory with a 6/3 lead in the second-set tie-break. The American earlier held two consecutive match points on return at 6-5, including one he squandered by missing a backhand down-the-line return by centimetres.
Fritz, 14-5 on the season, holds a 1-0 lead in his Lexus ATP Head2Head with the 19-year-old Mensik. Their lone meeting came at the 2023 US Open, where the home favourite won a third-round encounter 6-1, 6-2, 6-0.
“It was tough. I kept trying to tell myself that he played well and it’s not as much on me, so try not to get frustrated,” Fritz said when reflecting on the end of the second set. “I think my best looks there I had three match points seeing a second serve from him. I think I really have to win one of those.
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As Berrettini forced a decider, Fritz remained composed, showing only positive emotions to regain his focus. The 28-year-old Berrettini, No. 26 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings, applied consistent pressure on the American throughout the night.March 28, 2025
AWESOME TAYLOR 
SEMI-FINAL BOUND 
@Taylor_Fritz97 extends his head-to-head record over Berrettini to 5-0 and reaches the last four in Miami!@MiamiOpen | #MiamiOpen pic.twitter.com/WugicZpe3A
“I can’t be too frustrated with the 6/5 point, I honestly hit a really, really good serve and he full-commit leaned there. If I would’ve gone 110 mph wide, I probably would’ve aced him. He committed hard for the return and he crushed it. I got to give it to him, he raised his level a lot.”
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“I feel like that’s how I’ve always returned his serve. I feel like he’s got such a big serve anyways, it’s pretty tough to take a full swing and hit it, even when you stand back. That also gives him time to run around and find the forehand,” said Fritz, who hammered 16 aces to Berrettini’s 17. “I’ve always liked to stand in, look to chip those forehands and hopefully it gets on him quickly, especially when I get a hold of a backhand, I feel like I can really crush it.”
Improving to 5-0 in his Lexus ATP Head2Head series with Berrettini, Fritz never wavered from his bold return strategy against the hefty server. The No. 4 player in the PIF ATP Rankings hugged the baseline, even on the Italian’s first delivery, relying on quick reflexes and a block of the racquet to dodge Berrettini’s barrage of body serves.
After the first set, neither player surrendered serve until Fritz secured a pivotal break at 5-5 in the deciding set. Facing two break points at 5-5, 15/40 in the third set, Berrettini fired two massive first serves to stay alive. But on Fritz’s fourth break point of the set, the American seized the opportunity on Berrettini’s second serve. That was a key factor in the match, as Fritz won 62 per cent of his second-serve return points, according to Infosys ATP Stats.
