World No. 4 Taylor Fritz commented on his victory over Matteo Berrettini in the Miami Masters quarter-finals (7-5, 6-7(7), 7-5).
“I had a lot of opportunities, I could have finished in two sets (in the second set, the American missed six match points). I made it harder for myself, but he raised his level and played the third set very well. I had to work hard to win. I didn`t convert my match points, but I showed one of my strengths by continuing to play and taking the third set.”
“I returned well, but I think I`ve returned like this in almost all of our matches with Matteo. Usually, I return from a completely different position: I step further back, give myself time. But he has too good of a serve, and sometimes if I return far behind the baseline, he has a lot of time to adjust for his forehand. Today I returned differently, practically attacking his first serve, going down the line to find his backhand. I`ve always managed to play successfully against him and return like this, so today I wanted to continue in the same vein.”
Next, the American will compete against Jakub Mensik, whom he defeated in their only match at the US Open 2023.
“I don`t know yet how I will return in that match. Today, I returned the way I only return against Matteo and maybe a couple of other opponents – when I see that it works. I am very confident in my return, but if something goes wrong, I start to change it. Of course, I returned great today, so I will have confidence,” Fritz noted at the press conference.
