Fritz, Sinner advance to Miami Open tennis quarterfinals

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla., March 28 (UPI) -- Top American Taylor Fritz fired eight aces and converted 3 of 4 break point opportunities to dispatch Denmark's Holger Rune and clinch a spot in the 2023 Miami Open quarterfinals Tuesday in Miami Gardens, Fla.

Fritz, the No. 10 player in the ATP rankings, will meet No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz of Spain or No. 19 Tommy Paul of the United States on Wednesday for a trip to the semifinals.

"It's great that my level has gone up a lot," Fritz said in a news conference. "I'm able to perform at a level that I think is replicable.

"I'm feeling like I can do it over and over again. It's nice that that level can put me in the Top 10."

Fritz saved 5 of 6 break points in his 6-3, 6-4 victory Tuesday inside Hard Rock Stadium. He totaled 22 winners and 11 unforced errors. Rune, ranked No. 8, totaled 20 winners and 18 unforced errors in the 84-minute match. He converted just 1 of 6 break point opportunities.

Fritz, who advanced to his first Miami Open quarterfinal, has never faced Alcaraz. He is 2-2 in four career meetings with Paul. Paul beat Fritz in the semifinals of the 2023 Mexican Open on March 3 in Acapulco. That three-set thriller lasted three hours and 25 minutes.

Earlier Tuesday, No. 11 Jannik Sinner of Italy beat No. 7 Andrey Rublev of Russia 6-2, 6-4 to advance to the quarterfinals. Sinner will face No. 54 Emil Ruusuvuori of Finland in the next round.

Ruusuvuori beat No. 32 Botic van de Zandschulp of the Netherlands in three sets in another men's fourth-round match.

On the women's circuit, No. 7 Elena Rybakina of Kazakstan beat No. 24 Martina Trevisan of Italy in a quarterfinal Tuesday in Miami Gardens. Rybakina earned that 6-3, 6-0 in 69 minutes.

Rybakina will meet No. 3 Jessica Pegula or No. 26 Anastasia Potapova of Russia in the semifinals.

Pegula and Potapova will meet Tuesday night in another women's quarterfinal. Paul, Alcaraz, No. 3 Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece and No. 16 Karen Khachanov of Russia will be among the top men in action Tuesday night in Miami Gardens.

Additional men's and women's quarterfinal matches will be held Wednesday. The women's semifinals and final will be Thursday and Saturday, respectively. The men's semifinals will be Friday and Sunday at Hard Rock Stadium.