Fritz and Opelka set up all-American clash after Draper exit

American Taylor Fritz, seed No. 6, and compatriot Reilly Opelka both advanced to the third round of the Miami Open presented by Itau on Friday, setting up an all-American showdown that neither side will have been unhappy to land.

Fritz, ranked No. 7, needed three sets to dispatch Dutchman Botic van de Zandschulp 6-3, 6-7(2), 6-3. The world No. 65 had arrived in Miami with confidence after eliminating Canadian Denis Shapovalov 7-5, 6-3 in the previous round, and pushed the American hard in the second set before Fritz reasserted himself with authority to close out the match.

Opelka stuns seed No. 25 Draper in back-to-back tiebreaks

The more eyecatching result of the two came earlier in the evening, when Opelka, ranked No. 67, eliminated Englishman Jack Draper, seed No. 25, 7-6(3), 7-6 without dropping a single set. Draper had arrived at Hard Rock Stadium fresh off a quarter-final run at Indian Wells, making the defeat a significant blow for the Briton, who had been considered a genuine contender in this section of the draw.

Opelka, relying on the towering serve that has always been his most lethal weapon, gave Draper no room to breathe across both tiebreaks and was the more composed player when it mattered most. Opelka had also earned his place the hard way, edging out Portuguese Nuno Borges in three sets, 6-7(6), 6-2, 7-6(5), in the previous round.

Fritz will now face Opelka in the third round, with the winner likely to be a leading contender for a deep run in the bottom quarter of the draw.