“It means a lot, the way I won this match,” said Matteo Berrettini after securing his hard-fought win in the R16 of the 2025 Miami Open. With this win, the Italian has now reached his first Masters 1000 QF since his runner-up finish at the Madrid Open in 2021. Berrettini will now be facing the top-ranked American men’s tennis player, Taylor Fritz, in the next round. Fritz has been in red-hot form in this tournament, and he hasn’t yet dropped a set so far. Can Fritz keep his winning run intact, or will the Italian get the better of him in this epic QF clash?
Taylor Fritz vs Matteo Berrettini: Preview
Taylor Fritz has had a pretty mediocre season so far. His best record before this tournament was reaching the QF at the Delray Beach Open. Here in Miami, he outclassed Lorenzo Sonego, Denis Shapovalov, and Adam Walton in this first three matches. With this, Fritz has now secured his spot at the QF for the second time in Miami. Previously, he had reached the QF in 2023.
Fritz on fire.@Taylor_Fritz97 moves on and will face Berrettini in the next round pic.twitter.com/WExSmCaBbs
— Miami Open (@MiamiOpen) March 26, 2025
On the other side, Matteo Berrettini also hasn’t lost a set in this tournament, but he faced a strong challenge in the previous round. He will be entering this contest following his 6-3,7-6(7) win over Australia’s Alex De Minaur. This is Berrettini’s third QF appearance this season. He has previously reached the QF in both Doha and Dubai. Can he go a step further in Miami?
Fritz vs Berrettini: Head-to-Head
Taylor Fritz and Matteo Berrettini have crossed paths four times in their careers so far, and guess what? The American has got the better of Berrettini on all of those occasions. Currently, Fritz leads the H2H record by 4-0.
2024 US Open R64: Fritz 6-3,7-6(1),6-1.
2023 United Cup Final: Fritz 7-6(4),7-6(6).
2021 ATP Masters 1000 Indian Wells R32: Fritz 6-4,6-3.
2019 Davis Cup Finals Round Robin: Fritz 5-7,7-6(5),6-2.
Prediction: Fritz will win this match in three sets
Both these players have played some outstanding tennis in this tournament so far. However, looking at Taylor Fritz’s dominance over Matteo Berrettini in their H2H record, I feel the American will start this contest with much more confidence in his home soil.
Other than that, even if we take a look at the numbers, Fritz (4) currently has a win-loss record of 10-5, whereas it’s just 9-6 for Berrettini (30) this season.
Talking about their playing styles, Berrettini is known for his aggressive, power-based style of play, centered around a powerful serve and a heavy topspin forehand. He has already hit 164 aces this season, it’ll be interesting to see how many more he adds to that tally at the end of this tournament. Other than that, Berrettini loves setting up quick points and hitting winners with his aggressive play. He is also known for his incredible serve and volley. Fritz also needs to watch out for his picture-perfect drop shots on both wings!
Taylor Fritz is a really formidable opponent on the hard courts. He is an offensive baseliner known for his powerful groundstrokes, particularly his forehand, and a strong serve that can reach up to 240 km/hr. Even Fritz has hit quite a few aces (155) this season. Other than his serves, his incredible ability to hit sharp angles cross-court on both sides can also be really effective against someone like Berrettini. Fritz’s strong backhand and his court coverage ability are also worth mentioning.
So, considering all these aspects in his game, I think it’ll be a bit tough for Berrettini to hold on to this match until the last minute.
The post Miami Open 2025: Taylor Fritz vs Matteo Berrettini; Preview, Head-to-Head, and Prediction appeared first on EssentiallySports.