Taylor Fritz improved to 14-5 for the season after a gruelling 7-5, 6-7, 7-5 win over former Wimbledon finalist Matteo Berrettini.
2025 ATP Tour
Masters 1000
Miami Open
Miami Gardens, Miami, Florida (Outdoor Hardcourts)
Semifinals Preview- 28th-29th March
29th March
Taylor Fritz (3) 0.39 vs Jakub Mensik 1.95
Fritz showed plenty of character, squandering six match-points in the 2nd before regaining his composure in the 3rd. There was some high-quality serving from both players, with Fritz hitting 16 aces and winning 79% of his first-serve points. Fritz adopted an intriguing approach to combating Berrettini’s dynamic serve, hugging the baseline and blocking back as many as he could. It paid dividends in the end, as the American broke in the 3rd set to advance to his 6th career Masters 1000 semifinal. A beaten finalist at last year’s US Open, Fritz has struggled to match those dizzying heights this season, reaching only one quarterfinal in the four events leading into this year’s Miami Open. But he seems to have shaken off his various niggles and looks back to his best this fortnight.
19-year-old Czech Jakub Mensik looks almost unstoppable this fortnight. The towering Czech’s serve was too much for Fils to handle, with Mensik eventually taking down the Frenchman 7-6, 6-1. He was brutal on serve, firing 13 aces to just two double faults (winning 86% of his first-serve points in the process). Mensik didn’t look like a player nervously trying to book his maiden Masters 1000 semifinal place. He served brilliantly and dominated many of the baseline exchanges- he has now hit a mouthwatering 91 winners in his last three matches. Mensik was in poor form coming into this event, winning just two matches in his previous three tournaments. In fact, he hadn’t won three successive matches prior to Miami. But the high-octane Czech appears tailormade for these surfaces, using his ultra-aggressive approach to rush players into errors.
The Verdict: Mensik to win in three at 5.2- Fritz leads the Czech 1-0 in their head-to-head meetings, demolishing the teenager at the 2023 US Open. I know that the smart money is probably on Fritz. But Mensik has just played incredible tennis this fortnight. His serve looks impregnable and could hold the key to his success.
