Frances Tiafoe saved two match points before defeating defending Miami Open champion Jakub Mensik.
The American, ranked 20th on the ATP Tour, needed seven match points of his own to defeat Mensik 7-6, 4-6, 7-6.
After securing the two-hour, 51-minute victory, Tiafoe spoke to Mensik at the net before tearing off his shirt and celebrating in front of a raucous Miami crowd.
Frances Tiafoe’s Miami Open run so far
- Round One: Bye
- Round Two: defeated Arthur Cazaux 7-6, 6-1
- Round Three: defeated Jakub Mensik 7-6, 4-6, 7-6.
- Round Four: Terence Atmane
Following the celebrations, Tiafoe went into detail about the conversation he had with Mensik after their thrilling contest.
Frances Tiafoe has a ‘lot of love’ for Jakub Mensik
Speaking to reporters in Miami after the match, Tiafoe said: “I just said [to Mensik] I have a lot of love for you bro. I love what you have been doing. You are so young and you have done some insane things in the game.]
“I said I have got a lot of love for you and he said likewise. We have always gotten along great.
“I remember when he qualified and made the third round of The Open. I was [like] bro who are you? How old are you?
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“You are out here winning matches and he was like I won The Open last year! I thought ‘you’re pretty good and I didn’t know who you were!’
“After that we kind of just became friends loosely like that. I have a lot of love for that dude, man.”
Before facing each other in Miami, Tiafoe and Mensik had played one another once before on the professional circuit.
The pair contested a match last year during the USA’s match against Czechia in the second round of Davis Cup qualifying.
Mensik emerged victorious on that occasion, defeating the American 6-1, 6-4 in Delray Beach, Florida.
Mensik’s victory over Tiafoe secured a 3-2 victory for Czechia, sending his nation through to the Davis Cup Finals.
Frances Tiafoe’s path to Miami Open glory
Tiafoe’s chances of reaching the Miami Open quarter-finals were handed a boost on Monday when unseeded Terence Atmane defeated seventh seed Felix Auger-Aliassime.
However, Tiafoe would be wise not to underestimate the Frenchman, who made the Cincinnati Open semi-finals last year.
If Tiafoe were to beat Atmane, he would likely play second seed Jannik Sinner in the last eight.
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Tiafoe has a 1-4 losing record against the Italian, last beating Sinner at the 2021 Vienna Open.
The pair last met in the 2024 Cincinnati Open final. On that occasion, Sinner emerged victorious, defeating Tiafoe 7-6, 6-2.
If Tiafoe were to upset the odds and beat Sinner, he would likely face third seed Alexander Zverev in the semi-finals.
If the American reaches the final, he could play a host of players: the top half of the draw has opened up after Carlos Alcaraz’s loss to Sebastian Korda, and Taylor Fritz is now the highest seed [6] remaining in that section.
