MIAMI: Czech player Jiri Lehecka produced a major upset at the Miami Open presented by Itau on March 24, 2026, defeating sixth seed Taylor Fritz 6-4, 6-7(4), 6-2 in the round of 16 at Hard Rock Stadium.
The 23-year-old Lehecka, seeded 21st, broke Fritz early in the first set and held firm despite a tight second-set tiebreak. He dominated the decider with aggressive baseline play and precise serving to advance in two hours and 18 minutes. This marks Lehecka’s second consecutive quarter-final appearance at a Masters 1000 event in 2026.
Lehecka will now face the winner of the match between world No.1 Jannik Sinner and Alex Michelsen. The result ends Fritz’s run after a strong start to the American hard-court swing and keeps the Czech player on track for a potential career-high ranking climb.
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