Jiri Lehecka defeated Taylor Fritz, 6-4, 6-7, 6-2, to reach the Miami Open quarterfinals.
Struggling to keep up with Lehecka, Fritz was heard saying the following during the match.
“How is he doing this?” asked Fritz.
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During his post-match interview, Lehecka was told what Fritz said and delivered his reaction.
Jiri Lehecka says his game plan was to stay aggressive against Taylor Fritz
“I don’t know what he meant!” he said.
The Czech was then told that Fritz’s comments referenced his 15/15 points won at the net.
“Actually I think that for me the goal was just to stay aggressive,” said Lehecka.
“I felt that in the second set I stepped back a little bit. In the end, I just felt that, in the third set, if I want to beat a guy like Taylor [Fritz], I need to go for it, to be aggressive, to show the courage that I want to win the point.
“That’s what I tried to do, and it worked well.”
Lehecka was delighted with the win, as he advanced to his first Masters 1000 quarterfinal since the 2024 Madrid Open.
“I’m very happy with it. I kind of felt that I always missed that one more step to go far in a Masters 1000 since Madrid,” he said.
“It’s great to be back in Miami, it’s great to play well.
“I was not feeling good last week in Indian Wells, so I worked pretty hard in the first week here, in Miami, the practice week, to come back and find my game again.
“I’m very happy I did that, happy to win three matches in a row, the third one against a player like Taylor [Fritz], a top-10 guy, he’s super experienced, he’s played so many matches like this, so for me, it’s very good.”
Jiri Lehecka at the 2026 Miami Open
- 2026 Miami Open 2R [WIN] vs Moise Kouame, 6-2, 7-5
- 2026 Miami Open 3R [WIN] vs Ethan Quinn, 6-3, 7-6
- 2026 Miami Open 4R [WIN] vs Taylor Fritz, 6-4, 6-7, 6-2
Lehecka can now look forward to the quarterfinals, but who will he play next?
Qualifier Martin Landaluce avenges Carlos Alcaraz by beating Sebastian Korda in Miami
The Czech star will meet the Spanish qualifier Martin Landaluce in the quarterfinals.
Landaluce saved a match point en route to a three-set win over Carlos Alcaraz’s conqueror, Sebastian Korda.
The 20-year-old spoke to Sky Sports presenter Gigi Salmon after the match.
“It’s unbelievable, I was in the qualies, believing that I could do a good tournament, a good season, these past months weren’t as good as I wanted, but I knew my moment was coming, and here it’s coming, so I’m feeling great,” said Landaluce.
“Today I did an unbelievable match, Sebastian [Korda] was playing so good, and I needed to play my best, 100%, I gave it, and I won.”
The world number 151 was then asked how he managed to turn things around, having faced a match point in the second-set tiebreaker.
“There’s no exact thing, but you have to believe, you have to be there fighting in your service games, thinking you’re going to have some little chances, some opportunities,” said Landaluce.
“I had it, and when you have the chance, you have to go for it, because these players don’t miss; they go for it, so you have to be better than them.
“I tried that in the important points, and today, it was my day.”
Landaluce also took a moment to thank his Spanish fans, who were in fine voice throughout his fourth-round match.
“They like me, I love them,” he said.
“Today, I wasn’t tired, because of them, it’s really nice to have their support.”
Salmon then asked Landaluce about the step-up from the Challenger Tour to the Masters 1000 event in Miami.
Martin Landaluce in 2026
| Tournament | Tier | Performance |
| Brisbane International | ATP 250 | Lost in Q1 to Arthur Cazaux |
| Australian Open | Grand Slam | Lost in Q2 to Stefano Travaglia |
| Challenger Oeiras II | Challenger 75 | Lost in 1R to Mikhail Kukushkin |
| Open Occitanie | ATP 250 | Lost in Q1 to Clement Chidekh |
| Challenger Pau | Challenger 125 | Lost in 2R to Clement Tabur |
| Play In Challenger | Challenger 125 | Lost in 2R to Jerome Kym |
| Indian Wells | Masters 1000 | Lost in Q2 to Sho Shimabukuro |
| Miami Open | Masters 1000 | Quarterfinals vs Jiri Lehecka* |
“I think the level is pretty similar, because in Challengers, the level is pretty high,” said Landaluce.
“It’s not like you can win all the Challengers playing a good level, there are many, many [strong] players.
“I play good in great stadiums with all the people cheering for me, supporting the other guy also, and I give my best, so I have to go for these opportunities, and this is one.”
Andy Murray’s former coach has one question after watching Martin Landaluce
Commentating for Sky Sports, Andy Murray’s former coach, Miles Maclagan, was impressed with what he saw from the 20-year-old Spaniard.
“Massive, massive result for the young Spaniard,” said Maclagan.
“Is this him announcing his arrival?
“An incredible effort from [Martin] Landaluce to stay strong and close that one out.
“The resilience [impressed me the most], that is one of the key attributes that is needed in tennis and professional sports.”
Landaluce will want to produce another ‘massive’ win when he returns to take on Lehecka in the Miami Open quarterfinals on Wednesday, March 25.
