Taylor Fritz battles past Denis Shapovalov despite hand injury to reach Miami Open fourth round

Taylor Fritz secured a hard-fought victory over Denis Shapovalov, 7-5, 6-3, advancing to the Miami Open quarterfinals. The World No. 4 overcame physical discomfort and his opponent’s resistance to claim the win, marking his second appearance in the Miami quarters.

The American had to manage his lead throughout the match. The first set saw Fritz in control early, though Shapovalov nearly staged a comeback. The second set unfolded more comfortably for Fritz.

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Shapovalov’s comeback falls short

Fritz seemed to have a smooth start, breaking early to lead 3-0, winning 12 of the first 15 points. Shapovalov struggled to keep up with Fritz’s pace, barely getting the ball back in play when the American served.

Still, Fritz conceded the first break point while leading 3-1 but managed to hold serve. The American landed 62% of his first serves, winning 74% of them, yet Shapovalov gradually found his rhythm. The Canadian broke back when Fritz served for the set at 5-3.

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Though ‘Shapo’ pushed the set to 5-5, he couldn’t hold serve in the final game, allowing Fritz to close the set 7-5 after 52 minutes — a set defined by Shapovalov’s 18 unforced errors compared to Fritz’s eight.

Fritz shakes off injury scare

Much like the first set, Fritz broke early and raced to a 3-0 lead. However, he called for a medical timeout due to discomfort in his hand, apparently from an earlier fall. Despite this, the American returned to the court in good form.

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Shapovalov kept himself in the match with solid service games, but he struggled to challenge Fritz on return. The World No. 4 landed 75% of his first serves with a perfect 100% success rate, conceding only two points on serve throughout the set. Fritz comfortably sealed the victory 7-5, 6-3.

In the quarterfinals, he’ll face the tournament’s surprise package, Australian lucky loser Adam Walton (No. 90), who capitalized on Hubert Hurkacz’s withdrawal to reach the last 16. With nothing to lose, Walton will aim for another upset against Fritz.

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