Lehecka Upsets Fritz in Miami, Reaches Quarterfinals
Jiri Lehecka continued his impressive run at the Miami Open presented by Itau, defeating No. 1 American Taylor Fritz 6-4, 6-7 (4), 6-2 on Tuesday to secure his place in the quarterfinals. The 21st-seeded Czech showcased a significant performance shift in the deciding set, according to TDI Insights, achieving a Performance Rating of 9.53 compared to 6.98 in the second set.
“I reckon that for me the goal was to stay aggressive,” Lehecka stated after the match. “I thought in the second set, I kind of stepped back a little bit. I just felt that in the third set, if I wanted to beat a guy like Taylor, I just needed to go for it and be aggressive. I needed to show the courage that I wanted to win the point. That’s what I tried to do, and it worked well.”
With this victory, lasting two hours and 20 minutes at Hard Rock Stadium, Lehecka becomes only the third Czech player to reach the quarterfinals of both Indian Wells and Miami, joining Petr Korda and Tomas Berdych. This marks his first Masters 1000 quarterfinal appearance since the 2024 Mutua Madrid Open.
Lehecka will next face Martin Landaluce, who earlier defeated Sebastian Korda 2-6, 7-6(6), 6-4. “I’m very happy with it. I always felt that I needed to make one more step to go far at a Masters 1000 since Madrid,” Lehecka added. “It’s great to be back in Miami. It’s great to play well. I was not feeling good in Indian Wells, so I worked pretty hard in the first week here in Miami, during the practice week, to come back and find my game again. I’m very happy that I did that.”
The win has propelled Lehecka to No. 18 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings. He now holds a 2-4 head-to-head record against Fritz, securing his first Top 10 win of 2026 against the World No. 7.
Fils and Paul Also Advance
Arthur Fils also secured a quarterfinal berth on Tuesday, overcoming Valentin Vacherot 6-4, 6-7(4), 6-4. Fils capitalized on his break point opportunities, converting two of three against Vacherot, who won an impressive 85% of points behind his first serve.
Fils, 21, has now reached five Masters 1000 quarterfinals, equaling the record for a Frenchman before the age of 22, previously held by Richard Gasquet. He will face 22nd seed Tommy Paul, who defeated Tomas Martin Etcheverry 6-1, 6-3, as Paul aims for his first Masters 1000 semifinal.