Berrettini after his defeat against Fritz in Miami: "I played one of my best matches on this surface"

Last night, Taylor Fritz and Matteo Berrettini put on a great show for the Miami Open spectators. The American, ranked world No. 4, ultimately overcame the Italian and was the last player to secure his spot in the semifinals after nearly three hours of play (7-5, 6-7, 7-5).

Berrettini, ranked 30th in the world, held his own and even saved six match points in the second set to force a decisive third set. In the end, Fritz stayed mentally strong to pull through at the last moment, earning him a semifinal clash against Jakub Mensik for a place in the final.

After his defeat, Berrettini was disappointed but still chose to focus on the positives of a tournament that saw him reach the quarterfinals of a Masters 1000 for the first time since Madrid in 2021.

"I had a great evening—it was a very high-level match against Fritz, even though the ending was bitter since I lost. In my opinion, I played one of my best matches on this surface, but Taylor was impressive. He’s world No. 4, so that’s expected.

But I’m very proud. Going toe-to-toe with a player like him isn’t a given, even if there’s still some bitterness inside me. The six match points saved in the second set? I don’t even remember the number—I thought it was five!

I just told myself to fight and not give up—I felt like I was playing well. I had to put my heart into it and keep pushing. Saving all those match points, taking the match to a third set, feeling good physically… these are all good things, even if it stings a little.

It’s a shame because the semifinal was just a few points away, but there will be other opportunities in the future," he told Sky Sports Italia shortly after his elimination.